Migration Museum Fenix: Emotion meets art and architecture
Courage, hope, trust, but also the pain of parting, homesickness, and fear—these are the great emotions of the phenomenon of migration . All of these find space and expression in the new Fenix art museum, which opened its doors in Rotterdam in mid-May.
Particularly striking: a spectacularly glittering structure on the roof. It's a stainless steel staircase that winds through the center of the building like a warped double helix, nicknamed the "Tornado" because of its appearance. On the roof, the raging tornado then flows into an observation deck, offering spectacular views of the River Maas and the city of Rotterdam.
The "Tornado" stands for movementVisitors can choose between different routes as they ascend. For Chinese architect Ma Yansong, his design is a metaphor for migration and movement . "We essentially created a linear journey that takes you up and down," says Yansong. Part of the concept is that other visitors will encounter one another on the stairs, thus creating a meeting place for strangers.
Furthermore, the vertical orientation of the tornado deliberately contrasts with the horizontal building that houses the museum. It is located in a former warehouse of the Dutch Holland America Line, dating back to 1923 – a symbolic site. Since the end of the 19th century, several million people have emigrated from Europe to North America from the surrounding docks.
Art in a light-filled former warehouseAnyone entering the former warehouse finds themselves in a light-filled, modern museum with various exhibitions centered around the topic of migration. A politically charged subject fraught with stereotypes. But here, the focus is on something else, says museum director Anne Kremers. "Migration is a part of our human nature. As long as we exist as human beings, we move, migrate, and that will always be the case," Kremers told DW. The museum aims to demonstrate that migration is "timeless and universal, but above all, very personal." Many of the exhibited artists have incorporated their personal experiences into their artworks.
Take, for example, the South Korean artist Kimsooja, who moved frequently as the child of a soldier. Her "Bottari-Truck-Migrateurs" from 2007 is a colorful testament to this experience. Several dozen colorful bundles, held together with fabric, are stacked on an old open box truck. These bundles are traditionally used in Korea to transport objects. Along with them are memories, feelings, and thoughts.
The approximately 150 exhibits in the "All Directions" exhibition address the topic of migration in a variety of ways. In addition to highly sculptural, thematically related objects, such as a boat donated by the customs office of the port of Lampedusa , there are also objects whose connection to migration is somewhat more subtle.
The works of art include contemporary art as well as historical works. For example, the museum is exhibiting a 16th-century portrait of Desiderius Erasmus—a Rotterdam native and cosmopolitan par excellence—by the painter Hans Holbein the Younger. This was largely unknown until recently.
A special eye-catcher is the almost life-size New York City bus "The Bus" from 1995 by American artist Red Grooms. You can climb aboard and join the eccentric pop-art passengers.
The suitcase labyrinth tells true storiesVisitors can lose themselves in true stories in the suitcase labyrinth. The Fenix Museum has collected around 2,000 suitcases. Fenix curator and writer Abdelkader Benali emphasized to DW the significance of the suitcases for the migrants. Behind each one lies a personal, often heartbreaking, migration story: "It's usually about a better future full of hope and optimism. But also about the sacrifice of leaving one's family, leaving one's loved ones behind, saying goodbye, and perhaps never returning," Benali said.
One of the oldest suitcases belonged to Willemine, who moved to China after her marriage in 1898. Her marriage failed, however, and so she returned to the Netherlands with her four children on the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1911. Her grandson donated the suitcase to the museum. It is intended to represent Willemine's strength and independence, who was also active in the women's movement.
Great emotions captured for eternityThe emotional side of migration is also documented in the photo exhibition "The Family of Migrants." The photographs from 55 countries explore farewells, arrivals, journeys, and love. Images that linger in the mind. According to the museum, the photos come from archives, museums, databases, social media, and newspapers. The works date from 1905 to the present. The exhibition draws inspiration from Edward Streichen's 1955 MoMA exhibition "The Family of Man" and shares with it the focus on the individual.
Through its emotional approach to the topic of migration, the Fenix Museum creates a fresh perspective on one of the most polarizing issues of our time. It offers ample space for feelings, ideas, and experiences. By focusing on the individual, it encourages empathy—without being pedagogical. The art and architecture speak for themselves.
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