WorkArt & Culture

Quirkily Retro: The robot sculptures of Gille Monte Ruici

Although we now live in a world where real-life robots are active everywhere, from the factory floor to the operating theatre, most of us still prefer the fantasy robots of 1950s sci-fi. And Gille Monte Ruici, a French artist based in Paris, is clearly in agreement, judging by his beautifully quirky robot sculptures, made from a range of found objects.

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A small robot sculpture made from found metal objects stands under a desk lamp on a wooden surface against a white panelled wall

"I work with recovered metal, including scrap materials, kitchen utensils, mechanics' tools, parts and so on," he explains. "All assembly is done using screws or bolts. I have no preconceived idea of what my robots will look like in advance, I just follow my visual instincts. Either the final vision is immediate, or the idea will slowly mature and will emerge later on."

Aiming to give abandoned materials a "second life" through his designs, Monte Ruici's robots have been exhibited at +BrauerGallery in Paris, and at a maker's fair at Foire de Paris.

Polished metal robot head sculpture with two spherical eyes and a cylindrical neck, made from found objects and scrap materials
Three vintage Preosanta bottles converted into robot figures with metallic dome heads, antenna and mechanical limbs assembled from found objects
Whimsical robot sculpture with a round black head featuring bow-like ears, brass cylindrical body, two curved black arms holding illuminated cone-shaped lamps, and a red wire detail, displayed on a white plinth
Two quirky robot sculptures by Gille Monte Ruici made from found metal objects, with the taller figure featuring a cylindrical body and the smaller one displaying a prominent red circular element
Quirky robot sculpture made from found metal objects including kitchen utensils and mechanical parts, with a red ribbed body and two round eyes on its chest
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