Beyond Borders: Discover Fenix with the Erasmus Alumni Club
An afternoon of art, migration stories and new perspectives at Fenix.
Fenix Tornado - Stairs to Platform by Iwan Baan
Two thousand suitcases filled with personal stories, photography about migration, art from around the world and a new perspective on Rotterdam.
On Friday, 11 September, join the Erasmus Alumni Club for a special afternoon at Fenix, Rotterdam’s art museum about migration. Explore the museum and its exhibitions, take part in a guided tour and meet fellow Erasmus alumni for an afternoon of art, stories, new perspectives and conversation.
The event is jointly organised by the Art & Culture Circle and the Positive Impact Circle, bringing together two different perspectives: how art can change the way we see the world, and how ideas can be translated into lasting change.
Discover Fenix
Housed in a historic harbour warehouse on Rotterdam’s Katendrecht peninsula, Fenix tells stories of migration from around the world through art, photography, objects and personal histories.
In All Directions, works by artists from across the globe explore movement, home, identity and migration. The Family of Migrants brings together almost two hundred photographs telling stories of departure and arrival, separation and new beginnings.
You can also wander through the Suitcase Maze, surrounded by two thousand suitcases that once travelled the world with their owners, or climb the spectacular Tornado for a 360-degree view across Rotterdam and the Maas.
Would you like some extra time to discover Fenix? You are welcome to arrive from 15:00 onwards and explore the museum independently before the official programme begins at 16:00.
Steve McCurry. Pakistan, 1984. A thirteen-year-old girl from Afghanistan
Programme
16:00 | Welcome and guided tours
The programme begins with a welcome from the Erasmus Alumni Club, followed by two rounds of guided tours of approximately 30 minutes. Tours are available in both Dutch and English.
Places on the guided tours are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis when registering.
17:00 | Anne Kremers & Berfu Ege Sobe on Plein
We come together on Plein, Fenix’s covered city square, for contributions from Anne Kremers and Berfu Ege Sobe.
Afterwards, we continue with drinks and the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with fellow alumni.
19:00 | End of programme
Unable to join us from 16:00? You are also welcome to join us at 17:00 on Plein for the speaker programme and drinks.
Speakers
Anne Kremers
Anne Kremers, Director of Fenix and Erasmus alumna, will take us behind the scenes of the museum and share the ideas, choices and stories that have shaped Fenix.
She will also reflect on her own route from Erasmus University into the museum world: how her academic background has influenced the way she looks at art, culture and leadership, and how that perspective has found its way into her work as Director of Fenix.
Kremers previously led Museum Villa Mondriaan in Winterswijk, where she was appointed director at the age of 24, making her the youngest museum director in the Netherlands at the time. She later worked for the Chow Tai Fook Art Foundation in Hong Kong before returning to the Netherlands to take up her role at Fenix.
Berfu Ege Sobe
Berfu Ege Sobe, board member of the Positive Impact Circle, will explore a question that is becoming increasingly relevant for organisations: when does what we call ‘impact’ actually lead to lasting change?
Impact has become one of the most widely used words in business and society, yet what organisations produce, what people start doing differently and what ultimately changes in the real world are not the same thing.
Drawing on her forthcoming book, Impact by Design: Creating Certainty and Impact in a World of Complexity, Ege Sobe will introduce the Impact Compass, a practical framework built around four interconnected dimensions: environment, economy, society and the individual.
Her contribution asks us to look beyond good intentions and visible results, and consider how meaningful impact can be deliberately designed.
About the Circles
The Erasmus Alumni Club’s Circles bring alumni together around shared professional, cultural and societal interests.
The Art & Culture Circle creates opportunities for alumni to encounter art, culture and new ideas together.
The Positive Impact Circle connects alumni interested in how organisations, professionals and individuals can contribute to meaningful and lasting societal change.
At Fenix, the two Circles come together around a shared question: how can new perspectives change the way we understand people, society and the world around us?
Who can join?
The event is open to all Erasmus alumni with an interest in art, culture, migration or social impact. No prior knowledge of art or Fenix is required.
Whether you would like to discover the museum, hear from Anne Kremers and Berfu Ege Sobe, exchange perspectives with other alumni or simply experience Fenix in good company, you are very welcome to join.
Tickets and registration
A regular ticket to Fenix costs €15. For this special Erasmus alumni afternoon, however, there is no fixed ticket price.
Museum admission, the alumni programme and drinks on Plein are included. Subject to availability, you can also join one of the guided tours.
Instead, you decide for yourself what voluntary contribution you consider appropriate.
Places are limited, so please register in time.
Members
Erasmus Alumni Club members can register by signing in and clicking the green registration button at the top right of this page.
External guests
Not a member yet? You may attend one Erasmus Alumni Club event as an external guest before deciding whether you would like to become a member.
Create an external guest account to register. This account does not make you a member of the Erasmus Alumni Club. The voluntary contribution for this event also applies to external guests.
Practical information
Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
Optional museum visit: From 15:00
Official programme: 16:00–19:00
Location: Fenix, Paul Nijghkade 5, Rotterdam
Language: Speaker programme in English; guided tours available in Dutch and English
Accessibility
Fenix aims to be accessible to everyone and works with Toegankelijk Museum to continually improve the accessibility of the museum and its programme.
More information can be found on the Fenix accessibility page.