The text message used to be the quickest way to convey a message, but words are no longer always enough. Friends exchange GIFs in reaction to news, and emojis often serve as the punctuation — if not the entire thought.
At the Emoji Art and Design show in New York City, a celebration of culture and communications come together in honor of the — dare I say it - -Millennials' chosen method of text.
See also: 10 Emojis We Wish Existed
Spread across the open loft space are paintings, photos and installations inspired by emoji. Artists sell emoji-themed goods that one might usually only find on Etsy. From t-shirts to needlepoints of the leotard-clad blonde twins, emoji merchandise leaks offline and into your wallet.
The show was produced by Forced Meme Productions, a company run by three young women who have embraced the world of viral culture. For the past five years, the company has hosted Hallowmeme, an annual costume event that celebrates memes and all things Internet.
At the opening night of the show, I participated in an "emoji recognition test." A young lady named Genevieve presented three scenarios, one of which was "It's raining and you're supposed to have brunch plans with a friend." I was told to pick the emoji that best signifies how I felt in that scenario, and based on a scale of one to 10 (with 10 as the most perceptive), I was given a 7. In my defense, though, it took about eight emojis to describe the brunch scenario, as I tend to be emojinally over-dramatic.
It seems silly and inadvertent, but the truth is that most of us, or at least those in their 30s or younger, are using this format to simultaneously communicate and express ourselves. Often, we spend more time thinking about the proper emoji over the context of written word, even sifting through the tabs just to find that specific expression or object that accentuates the text.
In fact, the show dedicated an entire station to designing even more emojis than the 845 already available. The 10 with the most votes will be considered for future updates to the GroupMe messaging app.
The Emoji Art and Design show is on exhibit at the Eyebeam Art and Technology Center that runs through Saturday. You can see for yourself, or check out some of the work in the gallery above. Mashable is an official media partner of the show.
Images: Mashable, Christina Ascani