American Beef

American Beef is a collective visual research project by Lorenzo Bacci and Marcel Swann.

It explores the transformation of violence into a regulated spectacle through an analysis of the Streetbeefs phenomenon.

Observed over the course of two years in Virginia, this reality reveals the complexity of the United States as a fragmented, heterogeneous mosaic. American Beef emerges as a constellation of dissonant elements, shaping a narrative prism through which the deep-seated contradictions of the contemporary American landscape are exposed.

Founded in Harrisonburg (Virginia) by Chris “Scarface” Wilmore, the fight club offers a model where violence is confined to a controlled arena with the specific goal of resolving interpersonal conflicts without the use of firearms. This creates a paradoxical dynamic where violence becomes both the problem and its own solution. In this context, the human body replaces the weapon as the primary instrument of conflict resolution. Far from signifying anarchy, physical violence is elevated to a codified ritual, anchored in a framework of ethical rules and mutual respect.

Technology plays a crucial role in the spectacularization of these fights. Many participants do not merely fight, they perform. They lean into aesthetics and choreography, hallmarks of a society deeply shaped by digital culture. As Streetbeefs’ popularity grows, the “beefs”are increasingly joined by amateur athletes who enter the ring to perform carefully constructed personas.

In this ecosystem, an online presence is a way to affirm one’s existence. The fight becomes an experience that must be shared, viewed, and validated by an audience. This process highlights a tension between the desire to disappear from physical reality and the urgent need to exist in the virtual world, a continuous dialectic between visibility and anonymity. Beyond merely marking the end of a conflict, the video uploaded online becomes a permanent digital record, a certification of resolution that transforms a fleeting event into a permanent archive with a global reach.

Belfast Photobook Award 2026 Winner 

Author/Artist: Lorenzo Bacci / Marcel Swann
Publisher: King Koala Press
Page Count: 136pp
Size: 8.5 x 11
Notes: paperback, color, dustjacket
Date of Publication: March 2026
ISBN: 979-1281835313