Comics, films, food and much more – East Asian pop culture has a decisive influence on global mainstream culture. With ASIA POP, the NRW-Forum presents the first comprehensive exhibition in Germany dedicated to this development and its cultural, political, economic and aesthetic influences. From kawaii characters such as Hello Kitty to animated films by Studio Ghibli, K-pop bands such as BTS and games such as Black Myth Wukong, ASIA POP brings the diversity of East Asian popular culture to life. In Düsseldorf, the city with the largest East Asian population in Germany, the NRW-Forum is creating a visual, auditory and culinary panorama of East Asian pop culture on 1,200 square metres and with around 400 works.
ASIA POP
17 September 2026 – 23 May 2027
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf
Oliver Sieber Sailor Chibi Moon Potsdam 2006 from Character Thieves 2005 2007 pigment print 93 cm x 113 cm
Takumi Ogata What is kawaii 2022 Digitale Malerei ︎ takumi2ndtonkotsu ©takumi ogata
Karpfen Momotaro Takumi Ogata 2020
Bart Seng Wen Long Play Together Sugar Coated Pill Monstrous Other Hypersonic Cry Baby 2024 single channel videos 730 Mins Bart Seng Wen Long
Corina Gertz CHN 05 2017 Pigmentdruck auf Fine Art Papier hinter Museumsglas Corina Gertz VG Bild Kunst Bonn 2026 Courtesy the Artist
The presentation focuses on China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They all use popular culture in different ways as so-called soft power. The export of cultural products opens up economic and political influence on an international level. The show highlights these strategies and asks how authenticity, identity and appropriation are negotiated in this context. The exhibition is thematically structured according to the different areas of life such as beauty, fashion, film and television, games and music, in which the characteristics of Asian pop are evident.
Heidi, 1974, © 2026 Studio 100 International
Cao Fei, My future is not a Dream, 2006, Videostill, Courtesy of the artist and Creative Vitamine Space Guangzhou
Cao Fei My future is not a Dream 2006 Video 20 Farbe Ton Videostill Courtesy of the artist and Creative Vitamine Space Guangzhou 6
One focus of the project is fan culture, because without fandom, East Asian pop culture would be inconceivable. What fascinates and collects fans, how do they behave towards their idols, and what impact does fandom have on the economy and politics?
Random Play Dance, selfie stations and slot machines: the various chapters of the exhibition invite visitors to engage with the trends, question them critically and share their own fan experiences through interactive elements.
The exhibition is curated by Charlotte Ickler und Nana Tazuke-Steiniger
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