Mihai Barabancea is a Romanian photographer whose work is deeply rooted in exploring the complex and often chaotic realities of post-socialist Europe. His raw, provocative style is both reflective and critical of the socio-political landscape in Romania, often capturing the fringes of society through themes of urban decay, poverty, and marginalization. Barabancea’s imagery is characterized by a mix of documentary and staged photography, where he purposefully distorts reality to highlight the surreal and grotesque aspects of human experience. This manipulation of reality aligns with his broader thematic focus on the tension between human emotions, social chaos, and technological dystopia.

Barabancea’s early work gained attention with Overriding Sequence (2015), which explored these themes through a blend of gritty, urban imagery and controversial, staged scenes. His fascination with marginalized communities, subcultures, and overlooked urban spaces has become a signature in his body of work. His 2017 photobook The Kiss (Sarutul) took an even more experimental approach. Notably, it was designed to be accessible to visually impaired audiences through the use of Braille and tactile elements, pushing the boundaries of how photography can be experienced. Falling on Blades (released by Edition Patrick Frey), continues his dystopian exploration of Romania’s socio-political landscape through surreal and disorienting juxtapositions of raw human experience.

In Cyborg Dolphin Tears, Barabancea explores themes of dystopia and science fiction through a unique perspective. The photobook fuses Balkan folklore with retro-futuristic styles, grotesque transformations, and neo-kitsch subcultures. By integrating traditional textures with digital effects, Barabancea underscores his fascination with the intersection of humanity and technology, a recurring motif in his apocalyptic narratives. The book acts as an allegory for the post-truth era, demonstrating how fragmented realities obscure veracity and selfhood while technology subtly influences human cognition and desires. Barabancea’s visuals depict a world where ancient customs, deteriorating post-socialist settings, and cutting-edge technologies converge, crafting a story that is both distinctly Romanian and widely relevant. Through neo-kitsch elements, Barabancea introduces a layer of ironic whimsy to his portrayal of cyborg misfits and mutant encounters, set against deteriorating environments and techno rituals. This aesthetic, marked by a blend of 35mm analog grain and digital glitches, captures a meta-ironic universe where the lines between reality and illusion are increasingly blurred. Barabancea’s photobooks address not only the remnants of Romania’s socio-political history but also anticipate a future shaped by surveillance and technological influence. In Cyborg Dolphin Tears, he reveals the eerie allure of a dystopian vision, illustrating how both ancient myths and modern technologies shape our perceptions of truth and identity.