The Family of Migrants - Fenix

In The Family of Migrants, published by Hannibal, the echoes of Edward Steichen’s iconic The Family of Man find new resonance. In this book, the focus shifts to migration—a condition as old as humanity itself, yet urgent and raw in today’s world. Across more than two hundred images, drawn from both historic archives and contemporary practice, the book brings together a chorus of voices: Dorothea Lange and Lewis Hine alongside Chien-Chi Chang, Abbas, Stephan Vanfleteren, and many more.

The photographs move you through departure, journey, and arrival. We see faces marked by exhaustion, yet also by love; families on the brink of loss, and communities stitched together through resilience. The lens does not settle only on hardship it also captures tenderness, intimacy, and the quiet moments of care that make migration more than statistics. Like Steichen’s vision seventy years ago, the images remind us that the story is not of “others,” but of all of us humans.

Accompanying texts in the book provide context and depth. Writers and thinkers with personal ties to migration—among them Joumana El Zein Khoury, Rodaan Al Galidi, and C Pam Zhang—layer words onto the images with honesty and vulnerability. Their perspectives create a deeper understanding of the captured frames.

Physically, the book feels weighty and generous. Its large format and high quality printing elevate the photographs. It is designed as a lasting object to return to.

At Madera, we were struck by The Family of Migrants as more than a photobook.  It exposes the stories of our fellow human beings that are often too quickly judged. With this book Fenix reminds us to be kind and compassionate.

You can encounter The Family of Migrants through the beautiful new FENIX museum in Rotterdam or by finding the book at independent art bookstores. It is a work to be shown, revisited, and shared.