Sarah van Rij
Untitled, 2020
"I made this image for FENIX museum, which is currently under construction at the old Holland America Line warehouse in Rotterdam. From there, millions departed by boat in the 18th & 19th centuries, primarily to the United States. The museum will tell their stories, as well as universal stories of migration, past and present. It's about all those who – for one reason or another – have had to pack their lives into a suitcase and make the journey to a new world, starting from scratch.
"My assignment was to create a new series, using a number of old suitcases donated to the museum by families whose relatives had made such a journey. The donated suitcases will form another art work at the museum, which opens in 2024."
