FOLKBOTS™ COLLECTION
This ongoing collection is an exploration and reaction to the proliferation of AI in society and the human relationship with it. This series aims to elevate human invention, human-made creations, and driven intelligence, with an emphasis on handmade robots that serve as a meditation on our ongoing, unfolding relationship with technology.
Title: FolkBots™ Collection Model: FolkBot No. 001 Anxious Robot
Human Artist: Angie Mason
Parts:
Mixed media sculpture with hand-painted embellishments Made by: hi! (Human intelligence), one-of-a-kind | Salvaged wood, vintage keyholes, drawer hardware, coiled phone cords, acrylic paint embellishments, wood findings, plastic findings, metal findings.
Directive:
Part relic, part robot, part dream-being, FolkBot No. 001 is a handcrafted relic from 2025, one where human touch and imagination breathe life into machines. Human intelligence made AI or, simply, h.i. — imperfect, flawed specimens who are created equipped with quirks and flaws of humans, making it perfectly imperfect and one of a kind. This charming character reclaims machinehood with emotion, humor, and soul. The term FolkBot fuses folk art with robotics, creating a new singularity. Each disregarded found component carries a past; together they form a brand new sentient character in the future-folklore world Mason is building. FolkBots series: a collection of character-driven creations exploring the intersection of nostalgia, technology, and emotional resonance. The work draws from folk art, childhood invention, and a deep yearning for humanity in a digitized age. Dimensions: 20Hx5.5Wx2.5D #robots #art #folkart #foundobjectart #angiemason
It's worth noting that the logo for Human Intelligence (hi!) is my handprint from when I was 5 years old, a fledgling artist, just starting, on my beautifully human, flawed existence. Expect more in the future from this series! Transmission End.
Title: FolkBots™ Collection Model: FolkBot No. 002 The Dream Keeper’s Reach (Missed Connection)
Human Artist: Angie Mason
Parts:
Assemblage sculpture / mixed media with found objects, acrylic, chain, clay, and key
Directive:
FolkBot No. 002 is a dream-bound sentinel: a creature designed to protect possibility, but fated to dwell in the in-between, a sacred saint of what if’s. Suspended by chain, wired with longing, and rendered in warm, worn parts, this bot becomes an effigy of potential left just out of reach. The key hangs below. The lock rests within. The arms—small, cannot bridge the distance. And yet, the watcher above sees all potential and hope’s are the wishes of a tooth offering for a fairy’s chance things will work out. This piece honors the reluctant dreamers—the ones who carry deep knowing, vivid glimpses, and inner galaxies… but who still float just shy of unlocking it all. ⸻ FolkBots series: a collection of character-driven creations exploring the intersection of nostalgia, technology, and emotional resonance. The work draws from folk art, childhood invention, and a deep yearning for humanity in a digitized age. Each piece is a tender resistance to the sterile polish of artificial intelligence—a celebration of h.i. (human intelligence), assembled from memory, scrap, and story.
