With Fenix, Rotterdam has a first. We wrote about this unique museum before, as it's is the first museum in the world to present migration through contemporary art.
And a date has now been announced: it will open on May 16, 2025. Read more below!
Fenix is located in the original San Francisco warehouse from 1923, designed by architect C.N. van Goor and was the largest warehouse in the world at the time. This historic warehouse is located on the departure and arrival quays in the city of Rotterdam. Millions of people started a new life here, on their way to the United States or Canada. Or arriving from countries such as China, Cape Verde, Greece and many other destinations.
In the monumental warehouse from 1923, Fenix gives space to more than a hundred artists, from all continents, who show that migration is timeless and universal. In addition to the international art collection, Het Kofferdoolhof (The Suitcase Maze) and the documentary photo exhibition The Family of Migrants will soon be on display.
The exhibition Alle richtingen - Kunst die je beweegt (All directions - Art that moves you) will also be on display on the first floor. Artists from all over the world are represented, including Rineke Dijkstra, Do Hu Suh, Francis Alÿs, Steve McQueen, Adrian Paci and Shilpa Gupta. The work on display ranges from large installations to video projections and from paintings to sculptures. Artists Beya Gille Gacha, Efrat Zehavi, Chae Eun Rhee, Raquel van Haver and Hugo McCloud are currently working on exclusive new work for Fenix, each with their own perspective on migration. Side by side with the art, All Directions shows a number of striking historical objects. Think of an alien passport and original passenger lists of the Holland-America Line. The exhibition brings together all works of art and historical objects under themes such as identity, home, boundaries and happiness. This month, work started on moving in the first objects, including a fragment of the Berlin Wall and a work of art by the Korean artist Kimsooja.
The warehouse is carefully restored and transformed into a spectacular museum building. The Tornado forms the heart of Fenix: the futuristic, double-twisted staircase construction connects the different floors with the 24-meter-high platform. The theme of migration is also reflected here: on the way to the viewpoint, visitors can change stairs halfway and thus determine their way up, just as people are faced with choices during a journey. An experience where visitors are treated to new perspectives and a breathtaking panorama of the river and the city, the Maas and Rotterdam.
Plein will also open on the ground floor: a covered city square of 2,000 square metres where Rotterdam residents create a programme together with Fenix. Because programme makers from the neighbourhood and the world organize constantly changing activities, Plein is different every day. From a location for events to a stage and kitchen for the city and the neighbourhood. Plein moves with the continuously changing city, nourished by its many cultures and people.
Add it to your calendar! For more information, visit fenix.nl.