American Beef

Description

Photobook by
Lorenzo Bacci
Marcel Swann
Size: 21X28 cm
136 pages, 150 gsm.
Stapled paperback.
Uncoated 300 gsm cover, offset printed
Dust jackets offset printed, glossy laminated on the outside
Graphic by Paul Sahre
ISBN:9791281835313

American Beef is a visual research project that examines the Streetbeefs phenomenon in order to explore the transformation of violence into a regulated and socially acceptable spectacle.
Founded in Harrisonburg, Virginia, by Chris “Scarface” Wilmore, this fight club proposes a model in which violence, confined within a controlled space, replaces firearms as a means of resolving interpersonal conflicts. A paradoxical dynamic emerges in which physical confrontation becomes a codified ritual that turns the body into a tool of mediation based on mutual respect.
Within this context, many participants act as performers, carefully shaping the aesthetics and choreography of their fights according to the conventions of digital culture. The growing popularity of the phenomenon has attracted an expanding fanbase, where alongside the “beefs” amateur athletes and characters with carefully constructed narrative traits also emerge.
The project highlights the contrast between the physical arena and its digital dimension. Uploading the video online does not simply mark the end of the conflict, but certifies its resolution through an indelible trace. In this way, the impact of the event expands beyond the boundaries of the local community.
Despite the reduction of shootings at the local level, the success of Streetbeefs has generated an exponential increase in online spectators. The involvement of a heterogeneous audience, including women and children, suggests a gradual normalization of violence when it is framed within a regulated context.
American Beef recomposes these dissonant elements into a layered narrative aimed at investigating the deep contradictions of the contemporary United States.

Lorenzo Bacci is a photographer and visual artist based in Milan, Italy.
He holds an MS in Publishing, Cultures of Communication and Fashion from the University of Milan, a MA in Photography and Visual Design from NABA (Milan), and a BA in Economics from the University of Florence. Since 2019, he has been part of the artist duo Bacci | Moriniello, which employs a multidisciplinary approach focused on examining the intricate relationship between humans and technology. Their work delves into how technology actively reshapes and alters our perception of reality.

Marcel Swann is a photographer based in Florence, Italy.
Very soon obsessed by visual arts from a young age, he began as a graffiti writer at 12, embracing the old-school style. He started documenting the works of other street artists to archive and study them, quickly realizing that photography was the ideal medium to explore various topics of interest. One of his main themes is the absence of desire in contemporary society. He is also a member of the collective BadSeedZine, founded in 2017.