In the collection: The Bus
In the collection: The Bus
Do you sometimes travel by public transport? Then you’ll know that you find a reflection of the city in the bus, metro or tram. Both Rotterdam and New York are a melting pot of people and cultures. We see this in The Bus by pop art artist Red Grooms.
In 1995, Red Grooms made a huge fabric New York City bus with life-size human figures. Selinay Sucu, project team member at FENIX, finds the situation in the artwork very recognisable and comparable to her daily ride in the Rotterdam metro. “You see all sorts of different people together. The curious child sitting backwards, someone reading a book and another with his eyes closed for a while.”
As a ‘third-culture kid’, Selinay often has to explain herself. Her parents come from Turkey, while she herself was born and raised in the Netherlands and had an Alevi upbringing. “I don’t feel at home anywhere, so I’m at home everywhere. The mix of people on the metro reminds me that I probably share this feeling with a lot of them.”
According to Selinay, the biggest difference between The Bus by Red Grooms and the situation today is the arrival of the mobile phone. “In The Bus no one has a phone, and it’s hard to imagine that now.”
The Bus will be on display at FENIX after the opening and you can even board the bus. When you get on, the driver turns his head towards you, after which you can walk through the vehicle and sit down on the only free seat.
FENIX 2025
After the opening, in FENIX you will find contemporary art, photography and historical objects. The collection tells stories about the movement of people around the world. Stories from yesterday, today and tomorrow.