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Join us for the introduction to American Beef, the upcoming book by Lorenzo Bacci and Marcel Swann+ the wrap-up production of the documentary by director Giulia Fassina.Saturday, October 4th
20 S. New St. & 16 S New St., Staunton, VA
7pm-10 pm
Meet the artists at the SAAC from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, where you'll also get a preview of their upcoming book and other works. Then, catch them at Heard The Store from 8:30 to 10:00 PM, where a copy of the book will be available for viewing.
About American Beef:
American Beef is a visual research project exploring how violence is transformed into a regulated spectacle through Streetbeefs. Founded by Chris "Scarface" Wilmore, the fight club confines conflicts to a controlled space to resolve them without firearms. Violence becomes both a response and solution to itself, evolving into a codified ritual governed by ethical rules emphasizing mutual respect.
Technology amplifies these fights, turning combat into performances influenced by digital culture, aesthetics, and choreography. Online presence is crucial for visibility, creating a tension between physical disappearance and virtual existence, producing a dialectic of visibility vs anonymity. Uploading fights establishes their resolution and creates a permanent digital archive, extending impact beyond local boundaries.
Streetbeefs’ success has reduced firearm-related conflicts while exponentially increasing online spectatorship. The phenomenon involves a diverse audience, including women and children, signaling the normalization of violence in a regulated context. The project explores how violence as spectacle allows audiences to experience fear, anxiety, and anger in a mediated, cathartic way, showing how technology and new media reshape the perception of violence from real to virtual.
About the Photographers:
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.
Lorenzo Bacci is a photographer and visual artist based in Milan, Italy. He obtained a BA in Economics from the University of Florence, a Master in Photography and Visual Design from NABA in Milan, and is currently pursuing an MA in Cultures of Communication at the University of Milan. Since 2019, he's part of the artist duo Bacci | Moriniello, employing a multidisciplinary approach in their research with a specific focus on examining the intricate relationship between humans and technology. Their work delves deep into understanding how the latter is actively reshaping and altering our perception of reality.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Staunton Augusta Art Center, 20 S New St,Staunton, Virginia, United States
