If you ask a film guru (including Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese) to cite their favourite film, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey will often be high up the list. It’s a masterpiece of film-making and possibly one of the most influential movies of all time. 2001 is certainly one of our favourites here at Film and Furniture, so we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Museum of the Moving Image New York on their major exhibition: Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey.

The Kubrick Space Odyssey exhibition (the North American debut which originated at the Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum) will feature an array of materials from the production of the film which Kubrick directed and developed in collaboration with writer Arthur C. Clarke, including Film and Furniture’s privately owned (and much loved) Djinn chair – the Olivier Mourgue design made famous by being featured in 2001‘s Space Station V.

Shot before man first went to the moon and without the benefits of computer technology, this film delivered captivating, realistic images of space using effects which broke new technical and artistic ground. This unique film featured the striking, playful yet functional Djinn chairs and sofas which we first see as Dr Floyd enters the Hilton lobby of Space Station V on his way to the moon.

The Djinn chairs were designed by Mourgue in 1965 whilst working for French manufacturer Airborne International. They embody the essence of 1960s futuristic space-age design. The name ‘Djinn’ comes from an Islamic mythological spirit which is capable of changing shape from human to animal. Made from tubular steel covered with foam padding and upholstered in jersey fabric, the single and doubled seated versions of the chair seen in 2001 were complemented by an ottoman, a chaise longue and a day bed.

This chair series has firmly taken its place in design history. With their wave like, low slung silhouette, this seating represents Kubrick’s vision of the future in furniture form.

“We are thrilled that Film and Furniture has generously lent an iconic Djinn chair for our presentation of Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey,” said Barbara Miller, MoMI’s Director of Curatorial Affairs. “Having the chair on view enables us to communicate fully the importance of design to the film’s success and lasting legacy.”

As the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the ‘art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, digital media’ (and which according to Condé Nast is “the coolest Museum in New York City”), MoMI is perfectly placed to host this exhibition.

Located in Astoria, Queens, the museum is sited “among the ghosts of early filmmaking” (Architecture Magazine): MoMI occupies a building that is part of the Astoria Studios complex. Built in 1920, the Astoria Studio was the East Coast production facility for Paramount Pictures for more than a decade before production moved to Hollywood.

In the 198o’s, a renovation of the 1920s building was undertaken to house the new institution, which opened in 1988 as American Museum of the Moving Image and in 2011 a further expansion and upgrade doubled the museum’s size to 97,700 square feet. The MoMI lobby nods to 2001.

2001 has become increasingly relevant since it’s 1968 release, making a profound cultural impact on how we visualise human and technological progress. The MoMI exhibition explores Kubrick’s influences, his obsessive research and his innovative production process in envisioning a world of the future – the year 2001 from the viewpoint of the 1960s. 

Original sketches, models, costumes, props, shooting schedules, production design materials, and photos, as well as projections and excerpts from the film will be shown during the exhibition’s six month run.

A series of screenings, public programmes and live appearances, workshops and special events will take place to coincide with the exhibition. 

As well as loaning our personal Djinn chair for the Kubrick Space Odyssey exhibition, Film and Furniture’s partnership with MoMI on this exciting exhibition will include ticket give-aways and a talk on design in film at the Museum by our founder Paula Benson in May 2020. Stay tuned for more information!

“2001: A Space Odyssey has influenced generations of directors and artists, and continues to captivate audiences around the world,” said Carl Goodman, Executive Director of MoMI. “It is especially fitting that this exhibition will be presented here at MoMI, where screening 2001 in its original 70mm format has become an annual tradition, and our public spaces, including the spectacular Redstone Theater, are deliberately evocative of the film.”

UPDATE APRIL 2021
Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey reopens to the general public at Museum of the Moving Image, New York from May 1 until September 2021.
More info and tickets for the exhibition on the MoMI website

Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey is presented with additional support provided by: George Lucas Family Foundation, and Film and Furniture.