Past Film/Video | Documentaries

The Emoji Story

(Ian Cheney and Martha Shane, 2019)

A person stands next to a rock painted to look like the poop emoji, which is a brown object with eyes
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Sep 19, 2021 2:00 PM
Film/Video Theater

Free for all audiences with ticket

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please contact Accessibility Manager Helyn Marshall at accessibility@wexarts.org or via telephone at (614) 688–3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

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Dive into the ever-evolving world of emoji and discover their fascinating history with this entertaining and insightful documentary.

Martha Shane and Ian Cheney’s doc The Emoji Story examines ubiquitous “emoji” (Japanese for picture character) from their rather humble beginnings to being an almost indispensable feature of smartphone keyboards the world over. The rise of this new digital language has also sparked questions and controversies about representation, identity, inclusion, and the role of the Unicode Consortium, the Silicon Valley–based nonprofit that has to approve new emoji for widespread use.  (81 mins., DCP)

The film is presented free of charge in conjunction with the exhibition Jacqueline Humphries: jHΩ1:), now on view in our galleries. Make a day of it and check out the exhibition before or after the film and see how Humphries explores and plays with digital language in her work.

"Given how long emoji have been around...it’s surprising that The Emoji Story feels like the first time we’re putting actual faces to the governing body behind the cultural phenomenon."
The Verge
A person stands next to a rock painted to look like the poop emoji, which is a brown object with eyes

The Emoji Story | Photo by Taylor Gentry

The Japanese inventor of emoji for DoCoMo, Shigetaka Kurita, handdraws his original smiley face emoji.

The Emoji Story | Photo by Lucy Martens

The family of the creator of the hijab emoji, Rayouf Alhumedhi, celebrates the emoji’s arrival on the iPhone in fall 2017.

The Emoji Story | Photo by Lucy Martens

The Japanese inventor of emoji for DoCoMo, Shigetaka Kurita, admires his original designs on exhibit after they were collected by New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.

The Emoji Story | Photo by Jack Shanahan

Tag(s)

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Cardinal Health
Kaufman Development

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
The Wexner Family
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Ohio Arts Council
American Electric Power Foundation
Adam Flatto
Mary and C. Robert Kidder
Bill and Sheila Lambert
L Brands Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease
Arlene and Michael Weiss

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Carol and David Aronowitz
Mike and Paige Crane
Pete Scantland
Axium Packaging
Bocchi Laboratories
Fenwick & West LLP
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
President Kristina M. Johnson and Mrs. Veronica Meinhard
KDC/ONE
Nancy Kramer
M/I Homes
Voyant Beauty
Huntington
Lisa Barton
Regina Miracle International (Group) Ltd
Washington Prime Group
Alene Candles
Fuel Transport
Russell and Joyce Gertmenian
Liza Kessler and Greg Henchel
Matrix Psychological Services
Paramount Group, Inc.
Ron and Ann Pizzuti
Joyce and Chuck Shenk
Bruce and Joy Soll
Clark and Sandra Swanson
Business Furniture Installations
CASTO
E.C. Provini Co., Inc.
Garlock Printing & Converting
Jones Day
M-Engineering
New England Development
Our Country Home
Performance Team
Premier Candle Corporation
ProAmpac
Steiner + Associates
Textile Printing
Andrew and Amanda Wise

Discover More

A view of three large abstract canvases hanging in the Wexner Center's galleries, with one canvas with red brushstrokes in the foreground and a green painting and multicolored painting in the background. The walls are white, the floors are wood and dark marble, and there is a glass and steel wall to the right.
Past Exhibitions

Jacqueline Humphries: jHΩ1:)

Sat, Sep 18, 2021 - Sun, Jan 2, 2022
Multiple Dates/Times Available
An abstract painting covered with a complex striped background overlaid with red brushstrokes and twisted CAPTCHA characters that read jHΩ1:)
Past Special Events

Fall Exhibition Preview

Featuring Jacqueline Humphries and Mark Godfrey in Conversation
Fri, Sep 17, 2021
Mark Godfrey, a man with close cropped dark hair with a bit of a beard. He's wearing a white shirt, suit coat, and necktie
Past Talks & More

Mark Godfrey

Where Does Art Lie?
Mon, Oct 4, 2021
A pair of images: Jacqueline Humphries and Felix Bernstein
Past Talks & More

A Performative Dialogue Featuring Jacqueline Humphries and Felix Bernstein

Wed, Oct 27, 2021
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Past Film/Video

The Emoji Story

Sep 19, 2021 2:00 PM EST
Film/Video Theater

Free for all audiences with ticket

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please contact Accessibility Manager Helyn Marshall at accessibility@wexarts.org or via telephone at (614) 688–3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

Become a Member