When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition runs from November 15, 2026, to April 25, 2027. The visit date specified in the dataset is November 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM.

How much is the entrance fee?

The regular museum entrance fee is 5 euros for adults. Admission is free for children and young people up to 21 years; every first Sunday of the month is also free.

Are there tours of the exhibition?

Yes, the museum offers public tours, a family tour, and a curator's tour of the exhibition.

Is the museum barrier-free?

Yes, barrier-free access to the main building is available. Visitors can reach the permanent exhibitions and special exhibitions via an elevator.

How do I get to the museum?

The Clemens Sels Museum Neuss is located at Obertor in Neuss. According to the museum, access by bus and car is possible; there is a paid parking lot near the Stadthalle Neuss.

Can I visit the museum on weekends?

Yes, the museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays. For the visit to the special exhibition, it is advisable to check the current opening hours on the museum's website.

Best Friends brings animal portraits, warmth and art history to Neuss

Name: Best Friends! Human and Animal in Naive Art
Start: 2026-11-20T12:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-04-25T19:00:00+02:00
Location: Clemens Sels Museum Neuss

Best Friends! An exhibition experience about human and animal

At the Clemens Sels Museum Neuss, an exhibition opens on November 20, 2026, that looks closely and with fine observation at the relationship between humans and animals. Best Friends! Human and Animal in Naive Art brings together works where animals do not appear as mere accessories, but as sentient counterparts, as family members, companions, and silent mirrors of human longing.

Naive Art as immediate visual language

Naive art thrives on an unfiltered intensity. Its visual worlds forego academic poses and gain strength precisely from this: clear contours, bright colors, dense compositions, and a visual logic that strikes directly at the eye and the feeling. The museum announces paintings, drawings, and sculptures that make this special connection between humans and animals visible and productively intertwine imagination and meticulousness.

A museum with particular strengths in its collection

The Clemens Sels Museum Neuss is known for its broad collection in art and cultural history. It has a particularly strong representation of works from the Middle Ages, 17th-century Dutch artists, the Nazarene movement, Pre-Raphaelites, and Symbolists, as well as Rhineland Expressionists. Additionally, there is an extensive collection of naive paintings and sculptures that occupies an independent position within the context of 20th-century art. It is in this environment that the exhibition unfolds its impact: it connects art historical depth with accessible, sensory contemplation of the works.

Between empathy, everyday life, and poetic observation

Visitors to this exhibition encounter art that sharpens the view for the familiar. Animal representations here do not open a decorative idyll, but tell stories of affection, work, everyday life, protection, and compassion. The images allow space for aesthetic experience and cultural education at the same time: they show how closely life and image worlds are connected and how strongly relationships can be expressed in art through color, form, and posture.

Educational programs, tours, and deeper insights

The museum complements the exhibition with a strong educational program. For the exhibition Best Friends!, public tours, a family tour, and a curator's tour are announced. Thus, the museum addresses different target groups: art enthusiasts, families, and visitors who wish to engage more deeply with the exhibition through art historical background knowledge. The curator's tour focuses on the concept and implementation of the exhibition as well as the diverse relationships between humans and animals.

Visit with comfort and good connections

The Clemens Sels Museum Neuss is located at Obertor in Neuss and is easily accessible by public transport and car. Barrier-free access to the main building is available; an elevator allows guests to reach the permanent exhibitions on art and cultural history as well as the special exhibitions. A practical environment with museum education, barrier-free access, and a clearly structured building is available for the visit.

Conclusion: An exhibition that makes closeness visible

Best Friends! Human and Animal in Naive Art promises an impressive art experience between emotional warmth and art historical precision. Those interested in naive art, animal representations, and surprising perspectives on human coexistence should definitely experience this exhibition live. The exhibition opens a view of what makes art special: it transforms the familiar into knowledge and the everyday into significance.