On Tour: Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY at 50

Kubrick’s 2001. A SPACE ODYSSEY at 50

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (GB/US 1968) is a milestone in film history. Even before the first manned moon landing, this movie used sophisticated trick technology to create fascinating, realistic-looking images of outer space. Many motifs became iconic for the science fiction genre, such as the Space Station V orbiting the Earth to the sounds of the Danube Waltz. First released on April 2, 1968, it influenced generations of filmmakers. Today, 2001 is regarded as a total audiovisual experience and as a film that revolutionized the genre of science fiction. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the film’s premiere, the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main presented a world-class exhibition on Kubrick’s cult film with numerous original exhibits from international collections and from the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of the Arts London.

From March 21 to September 23, 2018, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey at 50 invited visitors to immerse themselves in the making of the film. The exhibition featured original designs, models, costumes, props, shooting schedules, production documents and photographs from Kubrick’s archive. It answered the question of how Kubrick’s vision of the future came to be and to what extent it was realized. It also placed the film in the context of its time and explored the history of how it was received: 2001 left its mark on more than 200 films, music videos, advertisements, design, painting, architecture, and poetry. A separate section of the exhibition featured works inspired by Kubrick’s masterpiece.