In his works, Gabriel Abrantes (b. 1984, United States) layers unlikely interpretations, bending traditional narratives toward the absurd while moving between folklore, humor, and politics. He draws on Hollywood genres such as melodrama, romantic comedy, war, and adventure, weaving them together with a personal archive of symbolic references, popular culture, and contemporary anxieties.

In “Bardo Loops”, Abrantes brings together irony, humor, and a melodramatic tone to shape a ghost story that unfolds through arguments, reconciliations, and mournful ballads. The work is structured in four animations. Its “old school” ghosts, figures draped in floating sheets with simple cutouts for eyes and mouth, carry traces of both parody and pathos. Through them, the narratives move between autobiographical fragments and intimate tragedies, opening onto broader existential concerns, including climate change and the unease surrounding an increasingly digital future.