Latest news with #FenixMuseum
The National
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The National
Rotterdam supports migrants despite city's far-right politics
Nowhere is the Netherlands' ambivalent relationship with migration more visible than in Rotterdam, a city known both for its diversity and its growing support for the far right. The country's largest port, Rotterdam was home to the Netherlands' first mayor of Moroccan descent. It was recently dubbed 'Europe's new capital of cool' by CNN for its outdoor art galleries and innovative architecture. But Rotterdam has also mostly been governed by far-right and populist parties since 2002 and in some neighbourhoods, far-right politician Geert Wilders won the most votes in the 2023 election. "It scares me," said Joost, a 60-year-old university professor. "Our government tells us we should have the most strict policy in the world against migrants because we don't like them. But we should be more open." History repeats itself. That's what we want to share. Fenix Museum director Anne Kremers Yet at the same time, migration is being celebrated in Rotterdam. In May, the country's first migration museum, named Fenix, opened in a restored 100-year-old port warehouse. Among the glass skyscrapers, it is hard to miss, with its double-helix staircase designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong that leads to a rooftop platform. It is not just an impressive exploration of the past, but a living link with the changing face of the country. Asylum seekers living in Rotterdam are invited to take part in Fenix's activities. Thousands have been housed by authorities just a few kilometres west of the museum, on cruise ships that are increasingly used as a temporary housing solution because of a shortage of shelters on land. On Tuesday nights, a group of seven volunteer cooks, mostly women, serve food to up to 50 people who pay €5 for a meal. Recent dishes included Syrian mloukhieh, Yemeni mandi and Turkish kebab. Organisers hope to invite asylum seekers from the nearby ships to join its dinners. 'It's about practising Dutch but also learning to talk about who you are,' said Lai Chee Chiu, who co-ordinates the dinners through non-profit organisation Mano. Tala, a 31-year-old Syrian refugee who volunteers alongside the cooks, said her overall experience of Rotterdam has been positive. 'The group likes cooking and wants to integrate,' she said. Tala recently moved into her own apartment after living for more than a year on a cruise ship moored on the river Maas. 'The help we get in Rotterdam is unlike anything I've experienced before.' The museum's location – facing the former headquarters of the Holland America Line shipping company, where hundreds of thousands of Europeans once boarded ships bound for North America – serves as a reminder that the Dutch were once migrants, too. Common experience A labyrinth of more than 2,000 suitcases with the individual stories of their owners forms an exhibit at the museum. The oldest piece dates from 1898 and began its journey to the Netherlands aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway. Some are happy stories. Others document colonialism, exile and loss. 'I can assure you, there's a migration story to tell in every family. What we need in these times is empathy,' Fenix director Anne Kremers told The National. 'I really hope that after visiting the exhibitions the visitors feel like: 'OK, this is also about me.'' Admiring the views over the Maas river during a recent visit was Jantine, a 23-year-old Dutch music teacher. She said she felt more understanding for migrants after viewing a photo exhibit. 'You see emotions like happiness, fear or sadness. You feel yourself reflected in their eyes,' Jantine said. 'Just showing those pictures is very political, but they also don't tell you what side you should choose.' Behind the suitcases, the wall features a timeline with glimpses of Rotterdam's history. They go all the way back to the arrival in 1583, as a Protestant refugee, of Johan van der Veeken, a merchant and owner of slave ships, who later became the second richest person in the country. On the first floor, a fishing boat used in 2022 by migrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy stands next to a child's drawing of the Saint Louis, a ship that carried Jewish refugees in 1939 and was turned away from North America. About 239 of its 937 passengers died in the Holocaust. The museum, which is free for locals, does not aim to lecture visitors, Ms Kremers said. 'We could tell you what you should think, but it will stick with you if you experience the museum,' she said. 'History repeats itself. That's what we want to share.' Today, the central Mediterranean route via Italy has become the deadliest migration crossing in the world, with 2,500 recorded deaths or disappearances in 2023. The Dutch government collapsed in May for the second time in two years over migration after Mr Wilders issued a 10-point list of demands deemed impossible to implement. Among them: the deportation of 60,000 Syrians with residence permits. New elections have been scheduled for October. Showcasing migration as a human experience common to everyone may not explicitly address the continuing Dutch political debate on migration, but the national context is important. For the museum, direct involvement with the local community is essential. 'We think that is very important that migration is not just a story that you read about in a museum,' Ms Kremers said. 'To us, it's very important that communities in the city also have this stage to share their national holidays, their memorial days, and sometimes just their story by cooking and sharing a dinner.' The museum is an initiative of the Droom en Daad foundation, whose director Wim Pijbes used to head the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Work please Opening a museum on migration in a country increasingly hostile to the idea is a bold move that offers an alternative to the polarised political debate, said Saskia Bonjour, an associate professor in political science at the University of Amsterdam who specialises in migration. 'It's probably not a coincidence that they chose the artistic road, in which they can convey ideas without being explicit, rather than the historical or pedagogical road,' Ms Bonjour said. 'In mainstream culture, the dominant discourse is that migration is bad. National self-identification with openness and tolerance is gone.' For asylum seekers themselves, national politics feel distant, but the consequences are deeply personal. Living on a Rotterdam cruise ship is part of an application process that can take months or even years. While they wait, many migrants work by delivering food by bicycle. They bristle at their portrayal by far-right politicians as coming to the Netherlands to live off the state. 'We are here to work. We are not here to live off aid,' said Haitham, 30, from Syria. An Arabic teacher, he cannot teach without being fluent in Dutch, but also has no access to free Dutch classes because he is older than the age limit of 25. They all dispute Mr Wilders's claims that Syria is safe to return to following the fall of the Assad regime. 'He should read the reports,' said Haitham, citing recent killings. These include the deaths in March of nearly 1,500 people at the hands of groups linked to the Syrian government. Last month, more than 1,300 people died in southern Syria in clashes between Druze fighters, tribal groups and government forces. Standing beside Haitham, a Kurdish Syrian man in his thirties who did not give his name said he hopes to reunite with his wife and three children in Turkey. 'I came here to feel like I'm treated like a human being,' he said. Yet even among Fenix's most empathetic visitors, there is little awareness that the Dutch may have experienced similar feelings, albeit in a different historical context. 'It doesn't relate to me on a personal level at all, because I don't really have migration in my family,' said Jantine, a Rotterdam resident. 'I don't know if I'm the right audience, because I already think that immigrants should be welcomed.' Asked if the museum might change minds, she was uncertain. 'I don't know if it gets a lot of visitors on the other side of the political spectrum,' she said. 'When I look around, I think there's a lot of really tolerant people already.' Back outside, Joost acknowledged that migration is a difficult conversation as he snapped a picture of the former Holland America building opposite, now a hotel. 'You can see that here in Rotterdam, there are so many people living from so many nationalities. On the one hand, it's perfect. At the same time, it's a problem for a lot of people,' he said. 'We wanted to be a country of tolerance and openness, but now populists say we must protect our prosperity.' Still, many believe that Rotterdam's multicultural past, and future, will endure. 'There is place for everyone,' said Mano's Ms Chiu. 'But nobody knows what the future will look like.'
Vogue
24-07-2025
- Vogue
Art in All Directions: The Fenix Museum Is Changing How We Talk About Migration
On the banks of Europe's largest port—and at the former site of the continent's first Chinatown—a gleaming double helix coils above a former warehouse in Rotterdam's Katendrecht district. This sculptural staircase, designed by Chinese starchitect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects and dubbed 'the Tornado,' anchors the newly opened Fenix Museum of Migration. It's a showstopper, but more than that, the structure poses a question: What does it mean to leave, to arrive, and to begin again? It's a sticky June afternoon when I reach the Fenix. Inside the sunlit lobby, the Tornado glows, its polished steel and warm wood spiraling skyward. You can ride an elevator to the building's roof, where there is a cantilevered viewing platform, but most visitors opt for the climb. I follow a young family with a toddler who squeals as he bangs on the paneling and crawls up the ramp. It feels like boarding a futuristic cruise ship.
Irish Post
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Rotterdam - where the world came ashore
I'M STARING up at a vast steel structure, rising from a former warehouse building in Rotterdam. This is the Tornado, a double helix-shaped staircase designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, with different paths that intersect at key points as you head upwards. The idea is that you choose your own route to the rooftop, rewarded by panoramic views of the Rotterdam city skyline and what was once the world's largest port. From this area, millions of migrants began and ended their journeys due to war, persecution, or the need for a fresh start. The Tornado tops off the impressive new Fenix Museum, which is all about human migration stories and migration-related art. Suitably it's in the Katendrecht district, which was a base for sailors and settlers from around the globe. Today, Rotterdam is proud of its multicultural roots, and Katendrecht is on the up. Fenix is a mind-boggling place, in the best possible way, with so many narratives jostling for your attention. A labyrinthine suitcase installation takes up one corner of the ground floor, each suitcase with its own story of displacement, hope and fear. Lampedusa Boat at Fenix (Pic: Allen) Opposite, a photography exhibition, Family of Migrants, documents people on the move. Amongst the emotive mix, you'll recognise Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother and Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl as iconic migration images. Upstairs, two huge gallery spaces are interspersed with all kinds of artwork - installations, paintings, sculptures and videos - across six themes, such as Fortune and Identity. Some pieces jump out at me instantly: a real migrant boat recovered from Lampedusa in 2022, complete with discarded water bottles; Yinka Shonibare's Refugee Astronaut IX sculpture, desperately heading to another planet. Others demand closer inspection: Do Ho Suh's replicated door locks from his old homes; Moroccan-style hairpins made from Dutch coins; expressive paintings on top of residence applications by Ukrainian artist Maria Kulikovska. I can't help thinking Niall Conlon's More Irish, More Blacks, More Dogs print would be a brilliant addition, countering the offensive signs ('No blacks, no dogs, no Irish') displayed in some English boarding house windows in the 1950s and 60s. If you come away from this museum with anything less than profound empathy, I'd suggest you might struggle to connect with what Rotterdam represents. Suitcase Labyrinth at Fenix (Pics: Polly Allen) Walking the diaspora Taking the Landverhuizers walking tour with expert Anja Brand helps uncover more of Katendrecht's history. Lots of local street names reflect its past residents, like Timorstraat (Timor Street) and Sumatraweg (Sumatra Way). The Netherlands' colonial rule included Timor-Leste, Suriname, Indonesia, the Dutch East Indies and West Indies; many people from these lands made the journey to Rotterdam, before and after liberation. As Anja explains, Rotterdam has residents with an estimated 206 nationalities: this figure includes unacknowledged nations such as Palestine, Tibet, Kurdistan and the Basque Country. Anja introduces us to Jorge Oliveira Lizardo, a historian and storyteller with proud Cape Verdean heritage, whose great-uncle was legendary local figure Joao Silva, who arrived here in the 1950s and became a musician with his own record label. 'Cape Verde was a stronghold, a refuelling station and a slave market for the Portuguese and Spanish,' explains Jorge. It's estimated there are 23,000 people of Cape Verdean origin in the Netherlands; in fact, Rotterdam has the third biggest Cape Verdean diaspora in the world. Many like Joao Silva arrived in the 1950s and 60s, before Cape Verdean independence from the Portuguese in 1975. The community still celebrates national festivals like Sao Joao, held every June. Jorge's heritage is part of the rich mix of Katendrecht: 'There were different nationality boarding houses for sailors, so you'd have a Chinese boarding house and so on,' he says. 'You could find people from your country.' In fact, as we learn from meeting author David Zee, who has Chinese, Taiwanese and Dutch heritage, Katendrecht once had the biggest Chinatown in Europe. Fenix Museum Tornado (Pic: Polly Allen) 'There were 60 Chinese boarding houses, with up to 50 people living on each floor,' he says. 'By 1918, 40,000 Chinese people worked in the shipyards. 'However, the Dutch government didn't allow marriage between Chinese and Dutch people – they referred to the Chinese as 'Asian vermin',' says David. 'My Dutch grandma was forced to revoke her nationality and become Chinese; the same applied to my mother. This meant they got no child support. My mother had to buy back her Dutch nationality in 1975.' Today, things are different: the Chinese diaspora is an important part of Rotterdam's identity, and events like Lunar New Year are celebrated here and in other major cities like The Hague and Amsterdam. Meanwhile, in terms of the Netherlands' post-colonial attitude, last year Rotterdam became the first Dutch city to return colonial artefacts to Indonesia. The city gave back 68 items that had been taken by Dutch military in the 19th and 20th century. Celebrating travel and cultural exchange Following the tour, the Story House Belvédère is a perfect pit-stop. Since its opening in 1894, it's been a restaurant, jazz club, Greek nightclub and a wrestling venue, but now it's a place to find cool international events, like gigs and exhibitions, and a guest chef of the day might cook up dishes from Egypt, Iran or Argentina. Across the water, there are further international sights, like New Ocean Paradise, a floating Chinese restaurant, garden and supermarket dating back to the 1980s. It was built to symbolise Rotterdam and Shanghai's status as twin cities, with their ports as gateways to the world. Further west, I head to the photogenic Delfshaven district, which held the original city port centuries ago, where the Pilgrim Fathers set off for America in 1620. Soak up the views over 400 years later at De Pelgrim (Aelbrechtskolk 12), a waterfront restaurant and brewery with its own signature beer, Mayflower, paying tribute to the connection; squeeze in a guided brewery tour and tasting if you have time. Near De Pelgrim there's a great antique shop, Maritieme Kunst & Antiekhandel (Voorhaven 33), selling global maritime-related treasures such as shipping charts and maps – a 1750 map of Ireland, by Dutch publisher Isaak Tirion, amongst them. Hotels with international roots The Hotel New York (Koninginnenhoofd 1) was formerly the Holland America Line offices, a pivotal company in migration to America. From 1901 until the late 70s, people could buy tickets here to New York. The Hotel New York (Pics: Polly Allen) The building is now dwarfed by skyscrapers, but its interiors blend heritage with modern twists, like Fornasetti wallpaper and a cocktail lounge. On a tighter budget, the 20-room Bazar (Witte de Withstraat 16) blends North African, West African and Middle Eastern influences in its cosy hotel décor – for example, Room 306 has Ghanaian motifs, whilst 308 has a sunken Ethopian-style bed. The international flavour translates to its restaurant menu: I spot Tunisian fish soup, Persian lamb stew, and Turkish yoghurt. Wherever you stay in Rotterdam, you can't help but be reminded that this city is a place of transitions and cultural exchanges, where each person's heritage or background just adds an extra something to the mix. More ways to find diaspora culture in Rotterdam The Rumah (Oude Binnenweg 110C) is a cocktail bar named after the Indonesian word for 'home', and giving a nod to the rum-focused menu. The owners have also brought pop-up events to other European cities, like Antwerp and Düsseldorf. Rotterdam had an influx of Scottish migrants from the end of the 17th century, and established trade links to Scottish ports. The Scots International Church (Schiedamse Vest 121), founded in 1643, is in the city centre. Like many buildings in this area, it was destroyed in the devastating Nazi bombing of 1940 and later rebuilt. Reading Room Rotterdam West (Rijnhoutplein 3) is a local-run library that holds 20,000 books in different languages, many you can keep for free. It's a useful place to study, enjoy a quiet coffee or meet people; volunteers have links to 23 different countries, including Greece, Somalia and Rwanda. See more of Ma Yangsong's global architecture on display at Nieuwe Instituut (Museumpark 25). Ma Yangsong: Architecture and Emotion runs until 11 October 2025. FACT FILE Visit Rotterdam and Visit Netherlands are your main sources for trip planning. The Landverhuizers Tour (€17.50 or £15pp), running until at least 20 July 2025, is bookable through the Story House Belvédère website. Rooms at Hotel New York by WestCord start at €100 or £84 per night; waterfront or pier views, €200-300 or £150-250 per night. Rooms at Bazar start from €75 or £63 per night. Rotterdam is an easy Eurostar journey from London St. Pancras or Brussels-Midi. Ferry connections are available from Hull. Flights to Rotterdam The Hague Airport go from 50 European or North African destinations, including Barcelona, Jersey and Rome. You can also fly to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, with many international connections such as Dublin and Cork, and take the train on to Rotterdam. See More: Rotterdam, Travel
Bloomberg
27-05-2025
- General
- Bloomberg
Rotterdam's Migration Museum Opens Amid Split on Immigrant Sentiment
A new museum in Rotterdam is dedicated to human migration, featuring a 30-meter spiral steel staircase nicknamed 'the tornado' depicting the twists and turns of the migrant journey. The Fenix Museum of Migration, opened on May 15, is full of personal artifacts, including artwork from a Syrian refugee and a roomful of suitcases sourced from migrants to and from Europe's biggest port city — where over half the population is a first- or second-generation immigrant. The museum is particularly provocative at a time when the Netherlands is experiencing rising anti-immigrant sentiment, with the government pledging last year to implement the 'strictest asylum policy ever,' Charlotte Hughes-Morgan reports. Today on CityLab: A Migration Museum Opens in a Hotbed of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
A Migration Museum Opens in a Hotbed of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
A few years after Frank Kanhai emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands in 1975, his aunt came to live with him. Despite being unable to speak Dutch, she was still determined to make the six-hour round trip to the nearest Surinamese supermarket. So 14-year-old Frank wrote a short note she could show the bus driver. Today, that note is on display alongside work by Willem De Kooning and Grayson Perry at a new museum in Rotterdam dedicated to human migration. Opened on May 15 by the Netherlands' Queen Máxima, the Fenix Museum is an eye-catching addition to the city's skyline. A 30-meter-high silver staircase, made of 4,000 square meters of polished steel and nicknamed 'the tornado,' erupts from the roof of the former warehouse, an architectural testament to the twists and turns of the migrant journey. Inside, there are works from Syrian artist Abdalla Al Omari and British-Nigerian Yinka Shonibare. One room features a labyrinth made of 2,000 suitcases sourced from migrants to and from Rotterdam.
