MoMA acquires original 176 emoji set from 1999 as digital communication platform
The Museum of Modern Art has added the original 176 emoji set to its permanent collection, created by Shigetaka Kurita for the Japanese mobile company NTT DoCoMo in 1999. Initially, these symbols were utilized on pagers before Apple introduced its own emoji set for the iPhone in 2011. Paola Antonelli, the senior curator for architecture and design, referred to this acquisition as a new communication platform that bridges centuries through ideographs. This collection will enhance MoMA’s growing assortment of digital items, which features the @ symbol and various video games, underscoring the museum's commitment to recognizing digital artifacts as vital cultural expressions.
Key facts
- The Museum of Modern Art acquired the original 176 emoji set
- The emoji were designed by Shigetaka Kurita
- The emoji were created for Japanese mobile provider NTT DoCoMo
- The emoji were first released in 1999
- The emoji were originally used on pagers
- Apple produced its own emoji set for the iPhone in 2011
- The emoji will join MoMA's collection of digital objects including the @ symbol and video games
- Senior curator Paola Antonelli described the acquisition as obtaining a new communication platform
Entities
Artists
- Shigetaka Kurita
- Paola Antonelli
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- New York Times
- NTT DoCoMo
- Apple
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Japan