Next time you send an email, take a moment to ponder the simple beauty of the address field. No, not the name. Who cares who you're sending emails to. I certainly don't. No, the @ symbol. It's artwork now!
And famous artwork at that, thanks to its admission into the prestigious architecture and design collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. As the New York Times points out, this is the best of the best in the design/art world, akin to an Oscar for film making.
But why this particular symbol? Well, it's a combination of factors, all of which must be agreed upon by the MoMA's 25-person committee of art experts, architects and designers:
The committee must be convinced that each addition meets the entry criteria. Does it excel in terms of form and function? Does it embody the values of clarity, honesty and simplicity that MoMA considers essential to good design? Has it has made an impact on our lives? Is it innovative? Then there's the clincher. "If this object had never been designed or manufactured, would the world miss out?" said Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA. "Even just a bit?" - NYT
The @ symbol performed "brilliantly" during its run through the MoMA gauntlet. Today, it is officially part of the MoMA's elite collection, represented in a variety of typefaces and sizes. My emails, unfortunately, were all rejected. [New York Times]