In Cyborg Dolphin Tears, Mihai Barabancea delves into dystopian themes by blending Balkan folklore with retro-futuristic styles and neo-kitsch subcultures. The photobook highlights the intersection of humanity and technology through a mix of traditional textures and digital effects. Barabancea presents an allegory of the post-truth era, where fragmented realities obscure identity and truth, while technology subtly shapes human cognition. Set against deteriorating post-socialist landscapes, his work offers a distinct Romanian narrative that addresses both the past and a future defined by surveillance and technological influence.

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Mihai Barabancea is a Romanian photographer whose works are deeply rooted in exploring the complex and often chaotic realities of post-socialist Europe. His raw and provocative style is both reflective and critical of Romania's socio-political landscape, frequently capturing the fringes of society through themes of urban decay, poverty, and marginalization. Barabancea's images are characterized by a blend of documentary and staged photography, where he intentionally 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.
His early works gained attention with Overriding Sequence (2015), which explored these themes through a mix of gritty urban imagery and controversial scenes. His fascination with marginalized communities, subcultures, and neglected urban spaces has become a hallmark of his body of work. His 2017 photobook The Kiss (Sărutul) took an even more experimental approach. Notably, it was designed to be accessible to the visually impaired, incorporating Braille and tactile elements, pushing the boundaries of how photography can be experienced. Falling on Blades (published by Edition Patrick Frey) continues his dystopian exploration of Romania’s socio-political landscape through surreal and disorienting juxtapositions of raw human experience.