GENERATION SMS

SMS Symphony für 10 Seniors (2006)
Videosculpture, 10min Loop

Generation SMS provides a new view on Viennese teenagers’ written language from their grandparents’ perspective. In a media sculpture consisting of 10 mobile phones, original text messages written by teenagers are read out loud by senior citizens. Each phone shows one senior citizen’s face reading on a full screen video. Every device is mounted on an elastic, flexible tube enabling the viewer to interact and change the setting.

The language of teenagers changed drastically within the last years of the communication explosion. Besides internet chat rooms and forums, short messages sent between mobile phones have become a primary tool where creativity in youth language is being manifested. Abbreviations and simplifications due to time pressure/ lack of time and limit of characters, integration of English phrases, insider jokes (understandable only to a small group of friends) and the big influence of spoken language (dialect/sociolect, grammar mistakes) are the main characteristics of language used for short messages. As may be the case within all generations, social issues are at the centre of conversation. The senior generation doesn’t have much knowledge about this kind of language, but provides a huge reservoir of experience in life and love in general.

Examples

(„a little bit of a flash .. ;)) ->>>> aja, die ente haben wir auch noch getroffen.
*olaola,sag ich nur ..* tja,tja .. ich werd jetzt den diem ein bisschen carpen ;)
vl sehen wir uns to-<day noch mal eh? denk aber nicht .. wie auch immer“)

Kommst moin mitm BMX zur Ramp? Wenn ja nimmst ma please
meine PSP mit, brauchs nämlich! thx

stimmt, wir sollten echt mal auf einen coffee gehen 4 a tratsch...
ich komm am 2.okt. wieder back..also wenn du zeit hast--> just tell me, oki?? *bussiiii*

Ello mei sweetengel wie gez da? Wie wars we? sry das i mi nit gemeldet hab
hatte ka gh mehr. haste vl dieses we Zeit? kizz love di ur mega dole viel mizz u.

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Photos: Joe Lucero, Christian Schwab
Thanks to: Hutchison 3G Austria | Frank Felgner | Flexal Metallschläuche | Georg Geutebrück | Thomas Fürstner | Alexandra Schäfer | Ruth Schnell | Joe Lucero | Karoline Schwarz | Melitta Hohenwarter | Frau Posch | Frau Brossmann | Peter Karner | Hermann Burger | Balazs Nemeth | Fritz Walla | Elfriede Jöchlinger | Frau Grete | Michael Wollmuth | Reinhard Brüggler | Irene Kohlberger | die SchülerInnen des BRG/BG XXII Bernoullistraße | Albert Schmalz | Ulrike Prinz | Markus Ertel | Raimund Liebert