Walking down the streets of Chiapas, Mexico, you might not even see the public artwork of artist Isaac Cordal. That’s because despite being in plain sight for all to see, his work is miniscule. He’s known for his tiny, cement figures placed in public, but tucked-away spaces like drainpipes, cracks, and other corners where most people wouldn’t normally look.

In Chiapas, he’s recently unveiled his latest series of sculptures that see tiny skeletons in clothing engaged in mysterious activities.

They lurk in patches of weeds, in cracks in walls, and in other forgotten places.

With their mournful postures, you can’t help but imagine some tragic story behind them.

Cordal doesn’t assign a story to each sculpture, but each one has a distinctly sad attitude, which is crafted on purpose. To Cordal, these little skeletons are symbolic of the disregard humans have for one another and the planet, which he feels can only result in destruction, death, and despair. In his artist statement, he says “you can empathize with their situations, their leisure time, their waiting for buses and even their more tragic moments such as accidental death, suicide or family funerals.”

They appear to be lost, timeless creatures watching the slow descent of their home into chaos and entropy.

Some of them seem to have a more direct commentary on modern culture.

This one, for example, is a commentary on the modern school system, which Cordal feels has moved away from knowledge and education and towards a colder, less personal, business-like atmosphere.

(via Colossal)

Besides Mexico, Cordal has also shown his work in other countries. You can see more of his work, including some non-skeletal, but no less mournful, sculptures on his Facebook and Tumblr pages.