Visitors to GIZMOBOTS at the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery in Basingstoke have been meeting the quirky robot creations of artist Mark Haig, brought to life from recycled scrapyard and skip finds.
The family-friendly, free exhibition, GIZMOBOTS, which is running until Sunday 15 October, brings together artist and engineer extraordinaire Haig’s robots, both large and small, in a fascinating display.
Gizmobots start their lives as ordinary, discarded items discovered in second-hand shops, skips, car boot sales and scrap yards. Haig carefully crafts the parts to create unique characters, each with their own name and personality.
Haig’s works have been featured on BBC One’s Money for Nothing and he is on a mission to teach the younger generation the value of re-purposing, whether that’s through repairing or re-imagining old objects into whimsical sculptures. While many of Haig’s creations are decorative, he also makes practical robots which have functions like speakers, radios or lamps.
The exhibition is accompanied by creative, family-friendly robot-inspired activities including make-your-own masks, puppets and cardboard tube robots to keep the cogs turning for little ones throughout the summer and autumn months. During September, the Basingstoke Community Gallery will be transformed into a robot factory– a chance to go mad with arts and crafts. Drop in during opening times and look out for bookable sessions. To find out more about the exhibition and to book events, please visit https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/gizmobots.