Even though dirt is where our food comes from, is where our bodies get buried when we die, and is literally everywhere we go, it is not represented yet in the emoji universe. Somehow we have emojis for unicorns, pufferfish, poodles and Santa Claus, but not dirt! Dirty Time is planning to try to correct this oversight and will be submitting a proposal for a dirt emoji to the Unicode foundation in 2024. 

Dirty Signs is an exhibition of international artist responses to the idea of emojifying dirt, featuring works by B a r b a r a Schneider, Daniel S. DeLuca, Ed Woodham, Gustavo Gómez-Mejía, IPRAMENE, Lee Tusman, Liz Nofziger, M Greenwald, Maia Liebeskind, Noelle Salaun, Renée Crowley, Sarah Dahlinger and Vidya Giri in 2D, 3D and 4D formats. Dirty Time will also be collecting visitor suggestions for a potential dirt emoji through a “think tank” installation within the exhibition, and several participatory activities on September 30.

Dirty Signs runs from September 23 – October 1 2023, with a rousing closing event including live performances by Sarah Dahlinger and Ed Woodham on September 30 from 1-5pm.

Dirty Time is Hey There Kapplow and Walker Tufts. We have been investigating the impossibility of cleanliness since 2021 and we’ve dug up a dirty little secret: there’s no clean that’s not dirty.

Dirt feeds you and eats you. Dirt is your companion and your portal to the past and the future. We’re here to help you recognize your glorious, delicious dirtiness and your connection to all time through dirt.