Emojis, video games, even the humble “@” symbol -- all these staples of digital life have been as carefully designed as the most sleek furniture or fancy architecture. But do they belong in a museum? Hell yes, says Abbi’s friend Ahmir Thompson (a.k.a. Questlove, and emoji obsessive). If you find yourself wondering if it’s allowed, “then it's pretty much high art,” he says.

Also featuring: Paola Antonelli

Ray Tomlinson. @. 1971. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

David Theurer. Tempest. 1981. Publisher: Atari, Inc., USA.

(The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Atari Interactive, Inc. © 2013 Atari, Inc.)

Emojis, video games, even the humble “@” symbol -- all these staples of digital life have been as carefully designed as the most sleek furniture or fancy architecture. But do they belong in a museum? Hell yes, says Abbi’s friend Ahmir Thompson (a.k.a. Questlove, and emoji obsessive). If you find yourself wondering if it’s allowed, “then it's pretty much high art,” he says.

Also featuring: Paola Antonelli

View artwork from this episode at wnyc.org/design

---

About the podcast: 

From WNYC Studios and MoMA, A Piece of Work is everything you want to know about modern and contemporary art but were afraid to ask. Hosted by "Broad City"’s Abbi Jacobson, this 10-episode series explores everything from Pop art to performance in lively conversations with curators, artists, and Abbi’s friends, including Hannibal Buress, Tavi Gevinson, RuPaul, and Questlove.

Produced by WNYC Studios. www.wnycstudios.org