Available: 2025.02.15.-02.22.
Location: ISBN+ 1085 BUDAPEST, BAROSS U. 42.
Opened by: Herczeg Márk
Music at the opening: Lacika, Soós, Kenéz
Curator: Urbán Szonja
On 15 February at 19:00, a week-long exhibition of selected photographs from Cyborg Dolphin Tears will open at ISBN+, where the artist Mihai Barabancea will be present in person throughout. The exhibition will be accompanied by a book launch event, during which Róza Tekla Szilágyi will be in conversation with the artist.
Mihai Barabancea, one of the leading figures in contemporary Romanian visual art and photography, returns with a provocative and profound work.
Cyborg Dolphin Tears ventures into the realm of Balkan Futurism, blending analog-punk 35mm aesthetics with neo-kitsch counterculture to explore resilience in an age of existential and technological uncertainty. Captured over five years in Romania and Moldova, the photobook juxtaposes surreal Eastern landscapes with decaying futuristic elements.
In the complex fabric of metamodernity, historical eras and iconography overlap, transforming into patterns never before seen. As critical thinking erodes and emotional sensitivity diminishes, algorithms amplify polarizing narratives, harvesting human attention and emotional energy. Seductive fantasies fabricated by evil corporations further entrap us in cycles of manipulation and endless societal glitches. Base reality and dark fantasy are now rendered indistinguishable. Advanced AGI quantum technologies and eclectic spiritual prophecies collide, un-awakening us from a simulation that consumed our very existence.
As we turn the pages of the photobook, each image draws us deeper into the holographic tapestry of reality, where our gaze becomes the lens that reshapes the universe. Every scene we linger upon is not merely a reflection but an open doorway, collapsing endless possibilities into form. In the quiet dialogue between our awareness and existence, we are not mere witnesses—we are architects of our own perceptions, etching our intentions and dreams into the ever-unfolding story of creation.
The book is 272 pages, with more than 180 photographs taken over five years in Romania and Moldova. It is made using CMYK + silver printing technology, with nanorobotic contamination effects added to some images. The book was printed on Novatech 150 gsm paper, designed by Shentzus Studio and published by Vellant RO. The book was published last November in an exclusive limited edition of 800 copies.
Book launch and book signing: 2025.02.19. 19h
Moderator: Szilágyi Róza Tekla
Mihai Barabancea, a trailblazing Romanian visual artist and photographer, is celebrated for his raw and provocative explorations of societal fringes. Barabancea has developed a distinctive signature style: hyper-reality hacking that merges documentary, staged and street photography. His photobooks, such as “Overriding Sequence”, “The Kiss” and “Falling on Blades,” have earned international acclaim for redefining visual storytelling by challenging conventional narratives.
Special thanks: Novák Lea, Harangozó Imi