Superheroes

September 13 2024 – May 11 2025

YouNeek Studios, Toyin „Morby“ Ajetunmobi The Oloris: Heroes will unite, Vol. 1, 2024 Fury Illustration © YouNeek Studios YouNeek Studios, Toyin „Morby“ Ajetunmobi The Oloris: Heroes will unite, Vol. 1, 2024 Fury Illustration © YouNeek Studios

The eternal battle of good versus evil: superheroes have been saving the world for around 100 years. Comics have always been a playground for crazy ideas: men and women who can fly or scale walls, read minds and are virtually invincible – anything is possible and imagination is the only limit!

In its first major comic exhibition, featuring more than 1200 exhibits over 1200 square metres, the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf explores the entire pop culture universe of superheroes – and their arch-rivals, supervillains.

From Batman and the Joker to manga and anime and even politics and propaganda, the exhibition demonstrates the diversity of the genre across a total of eleven themed areas. In addition to numerous comic books, visitors can also marvel at original drawings, sculptures and action toys as well as film clips and media art installations.

People all over the world are fascinated by these superhuman superpowers, by the parallel universes, characters and stories that have so strongly influenced our cultures. Superheroes embody the wishes, dreams and hopes of humanity and are a collective vision created to defend democracy. These characters have not only become part of a universal pop culture, but have also been successfully integrated into our everyday lives – from fancy dress costumes to mindset coaching for business heroes.

Jonas Scharf Spider Man 2022 Wasserfarben auf Papier 42x 30 cm Privatsammlung © 2024 MARVEL Jonas Scharf Spider Man 2022 Wasserfarben auf Papier 42x 30 cm Privatsammlung 2024 MARVEL

What defines a hero today? How have these characters evolved over time? In our increasingly fragile world, isn’t there a need for new superheroes who can serve as representatives of universal values and guardians of peace and justice?

Curator: Alain Bieber, artistic director of NRW-Forum; Dilara Öztürk, project member

Staging: Dilara Öztürk, NRW-Forum Düsseldorf & Lukas Philipp Schulz, Studio Mudio

#SUPERHEROES

Sponsored by

Partners Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf Otto Beisheim Stiftung Hoffmann Liebs Max Brown Midtown CCS