Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of art dedicated to migration opens amid migrant crackdowns
Designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong, Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of Migration tells migrants’ stories through art and some quirky exhibits
A gleaming spiral staircase protruding from the roof of a former Dutch warehouse overlooks a port where millions of Europeans, among them Albert Einstein, once boarded ships bound for a new life in the United States.
The staircase, called The Tornado and intended to represent migrants’ unexpected journeys, sweeps up from the ground floor of the Fenix Museum of Migration, with the city of Rotterdam, water and people reflected in its whirlwind of shiny metal surfaces.
The newest attraction on Rotterdam’s waterfront, the museum tells the story of migration in 16,000 square metres of exhibits including artworks, photos and personal items.
Among the exhibits is a labyrinth of thousands of travellers’ suitcases, portraits of refugees and a colourfully painted city bus from New York.
