Category Archives: Gifts For Random Strangers

Bots Inspiring Bots

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Over the past few years The Bots have inspired more Bots (Bot fans “getting their own Bot on”, as my 18 year old would say). It is fantastic to see the excitement and focus when people put a brain full of creativity on a tiny domino! Here are few of my favorites:

Girl Scouts in Ely MN. make a set for their Winter Festival Art Walk

 

Bot making with P&G designers in Singapore

 

From Sandy F. in Vancouver B.C. “I gave my bot to my 5 year old son, (he needs bravery as he is learning to ride a bike) and he loves his bot. In fact, he made me one out of cardboard so I can be brave too. Please don’t sue for patent infringement!”

 

A Few Brave Stories From Randal Children’s Hospital

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From Dianne, The Child Life Specialist at Randal Children’s Hospital:

Hi Gary,
I  have some stories that I wanted to share with you.
Last week I had a 8 yr. old girl come in for prep for her surgery.  She came in with her grandmother and 14 year old sister.  She seemed very nervous and the 14 year old sister was so anxious she held onto her grandmother’s arm through the whole tour. The patient had ADD, PTSD, (I am not clear on what kind of traumatic stress she has had in her life but I do know she was in protective custody with her grandmother). She also had a bit of a speech impediment so was kind of hard to understand. When I told her the Brave Bot story and gave her the one to keep, she read the whole story out loud put it back in the box and handed it to her grandmother and said, “Hold on to this.  I don’t EVER want to lose it!”  When she got back from surgery I went to see her and the Brave Bot was beside her on her pillow.

I had another patient that was coming for surgery and after giving her the Brave Bot, the mom said, “I think I am going to cry that is sooo nice of him to make those for the kids!”  Sure enough she had tears in her eyes and her daughter had the biggest smile.  Such a great tension reliever!

Teenagers are a touch bunch to get through to when they are faced with having a surgery that they do NOT want to have.  The Bots have managed to get a few smiles.  They really like that they are numbered and signed by you.
Thanks again for your hard work and inspiration to the kids,
Dianne

The Best Bot Thank You Ever!

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From Eliza K. who found Bot #114 in Portland today. Here’s the story that her Mom Amy sent in:Here’s the story of their discovery of the Bot:
This morning I hid Bot #114 it in a large hole in the copper beech tree in our front yard (the hole was created by a lightning strike from the Columbus Day Storm of 1962).
My girls came downstairs, sleepy and pokey, and all of the sudden I hear a yell from Eliza: “It’s a bot!” Lucy said, “Where?” “In the tree!” screamed Eliza. “Maybe it’s a joy bot!” said Lucy. Lizie ran to the foot of the stairs and screamed up to their Dad Daniel (still sleeping), “Dad, there’s a bot in our tree!! A bot!!”

Lucy ran outside and got it, brought it in and said, “You should have it, Eliza. After all, you found it, and it’s your birthday weekend.”
“Wow,” I thought to myself. “These things really are endowed with magical powers. Lucy never gives anything to Eliza without being forced to.”
I went upstairs to tell Daniel about the unprecedented exchange between them I’d just heard.
A minute later we hear a shout up the stairs from Eliza, “Mom, Lucy just called me a liar and a slacker.” I guess it’s a short-lived magic.  Thanks for really bringing a thrill to our morning”.

What Brings Portland Joy?: Bots # 1-35

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What Brings Portland Joy?  I was curious so I created an interactive art experiment designed to answer that question. Throughout the month of March I am leaving 200 Joy Bots  in random locations (see below) throughout the city of Portland, each with a set of simple instructions attached (see left)

The goal is to document what brings Portland Joy, and to give a little joy back to the city that I love so much. People that find a Bot are invited to photograph their Joy Bot with something that brings them Joy (object, animal, person, idea, anything), and to send in their photograph and story to help me create an on-line “What Brings Portland Joy” exhibition . Finally participants are invited to leave their Bot in another random location in Portland to continue the experiment.

Below are where I left Bots 1-35

click here to see which BOTS were found and what joy they inspired!!

 

 

 

 

What Brings Portland Joy?: Bots # 36-70

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Bot 18 Left at Jam Cafe Hawthorne

What Brings Portland Joy?  I was curious so I created an interactive art experiment designed to answer that question. Throughout the month of March I am leaving 200 Joy Bots  in random locations (see below) throughout the city of Portland, each with a set of simple instructions attached (see left)

The goal is to document what brings Portland Joy, and to give a little joy back to the city that I love so much. People that find a Bot are invited to photograph their Joy Bot with something that brings them Joy (object, animal, person, idea, anything), and to send in their photograph and story to help me create an on-line “What Brings Portland Joy” exhibition . Finally participants are invited to leave their Bot in another random location in Portland to continue the experiment.

Below are where I left Bots 35-70

click here to see which BOTS were found and what joy they inspired!!

 

 

 

 

The Journey of Bot #22 getting passed on from stranger to stranger!

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I am delighted. The experiment of documenting What Brings Portland Joy(I am leaving 200 Joy Bots all around Portland and asking folks that find them to document what brings them joy and then that they leave their Bot in another random place for another stranger to find), took a fun turn this week when I received a photo from Tanya P. Who discovered Bot #22, passed on now 3 times! Here is the journey of Bot #22 so far…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy PDX

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Bot #22 Found: Found by Kim W. What brings Kim joy? Her dachshund Grendel.

Congratulations you have found a Joy Bot! This hand-painted domino is part of a city wide art project by artist Gary Hirsch. (Gary is best know for the Public Art of the giant fish that hang from the parking garage at SW 3rd &Adler). Joy Bots are “programmed” to bring you Joy. The goal of the project is to document what brings Portland Joy.   If you found one of the 200 random Bots placed all over Portland (see below) then you can participate. Here is how you play:

1. Take your found Bot and photograph it next something (anything) that personally brings you Joy (object, person, animal, idea….). After you snap your photo send it, along with a few sentences that tell us where you found your Bot and a short description of your photo (why does this bring you Joy). E-mail your photo and description to gary(@)doodlehouse(dot)com

2. We will collect and post images in the ‘What Brings Portland Joy” on-line gallery,

3. Lastly, take your Joy Bot and leave it in another random Portland location as a gift for another stranger  (or give it to a friend) so they can document their own object of joy and continue the process. We’ll see how many times a Bot can be passed on from person to person. After you send in your photo I will notify you when it gets posted in the gallery so you can track it’s progress. That’s it, it’s easy! Can’t wait to see What Brings Portland Joy! Thank you for playing!

 

 

Gifts For Random Strangers: Leaving Bots in Taipei

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From Oct 23-27 I left 7 random Bots in 6 random places as “Gifts For Strangers”. Each  Bot had a special URL written on it that said: “This Bot is a gift for you, please visit (url) to find out how you can gift this Bot to another stranger.”

 

Bot #7 Left at The jelly fish tank outside of international arrivals, Vancouver International Airpirt

Bot #6 Left at The Cathy Pacific Lounge outside of Gate 23 Hong Kong International Airport

Day 5: Left at the Duty Free Shop at Taipei International Airport

Bot #4 Left at the intersection of Fuxing N. Rd and Nanjing E. Rd

Bot #3 Left in a super cool shoe store next to Shilin Night Market

Bot #2 Left outside the temple in the garden of the Taiwan National Museum

Bot #1 left with a friend outside The Taipei Main Train Station

Track Your Bot

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During Oct. 22-26 I am leaving 6 random Bots in various locations in Taipei as gifts for people I didn’t know. The project is called Gifts For Strangers.I hope it is the first of many such experiments.

The Six Bots that were left for random strangers in Taipei

If you are reading this you may have found a Bot. I am an artist from The United States, Portland Oregon. I make small, hand-painted robots.

Please enjoy your Bot and then leave it somewhere else for another stranger to find and enjoy. If you are inspired, take a picture of the Bot in the new location where you are leaving it for another stranger to find. Send me the picture so I can track how the bots get passed on from stranger-to-stranger. You can send your photo to gary at doodlehouse dot com.

Thanks for helping with this little art experiment.

Here are the Bots in the locations that I left them:

Bot #1 Left outside the main entrance of The Taipei Central Train Station.  I was happy that I could leave him with a new friend 

If you find this Bot please take him home, enjoy him, and when you are ready please leave him somewhere else for another person to discover and to enjoy.

Day 2 , Bot 2 :Left at The Pagoda outside The Taiwan National Museum

Day 3 : Bot 3 Left  in a super cool shoe store on a street next to Shinlin Night Market