Lorenzo Maccotta

Don’t Be Evil

With the adoption of new informational technologies on a global scale the cyberspace has pervasively entered the lives of more than half of world’s population. The incidence of digital code seems to have no boundaries and to invest every aspect of our existence, arranging our behaviours and translating our innermost desires, as well as fears, into data reserves available for indefinite uses. Is it the digital infosphere a new model of environment hosting our interactions in a dimension located outside the space-time coordinates? Or simply the last technological articulation of the linguistic mammal’s peculiarity, capable from its very beginning to detach from what is current and to project itself beyond it through language?

With the adoption of new informational technologies on a global scale the cyberspace has pervasively entered the lives of more than half of world’s population.
The incidence of digital code seems to have no boundaries and to invest every aspect of our existence, arranging our behaviours and translating our innermost desires, as well as fears, into data reserves available for indefinite uses.
Is it the digital infosphere a new model of environment hosting our interactions in a dimension located outside the space-time coordinates? Or simply the last technological articulation of the linguistic mammal’s peculiarity, capable from its very beginning to detach from what is current and to project itself beyond it through language?
Whatever the answers the evidences of our daily lives shows that by giving us unprecedent operational capabilities, digital technology ended up reshaping our notion of real and led us to fully inhabit its syntactic structures.
With this project, carried on since 2013 and still going on, Lorenzo Maccotta aims to explore the impacts of digital technology on contemporary global youth population by focusing on its primary activities such as gaming, learning, sexuality, work and religion during the first decades of formation of the so-called homo-digitalis.

Seoul, Republic of Ko?rea, July 2015 - A view of the? entrance of the Seoul Cyber U?niversity (SCU). Founded in 20?00, the SCU was selected as th?e Top Cyber University by the ?Ministry of Education (MOE) in? 2007 and in 2013 received lev?el A (the highest) replacement? from a MOE's competency evalu?ation of the Cyber Universitie?s of South Korea.
Italy, Rome, September 2018: Mattia, 3 years old, in the apartment where he lives with his family. / Italia, Roma, Settembre 2018: Mattia, 3 anni, nell'appartamento in cui vive con i suoi genitori.
Republic of Korea, Seoul, September 2015: students watching a movie in the Multimedia Plaza at the Kwanjeong Library of the Seoul National University./Repubblica di Korea,Seul,Settmbre2015: studenti mentre guardano un film presso il Multimedia Plaza della Kwanjeong Library (Seoul National University).*Stitched photograph*
Republic of Korea, Seoul, July 2015: a 3 years old child listening to fairy tales from a tablet in his family apartment./ Repubblica di Corea, Seoul, Luglio 2015: un bambino di 3 anni mentre ascolta delle fiabe da un tablet nel suo appartamento.*Stitched photograph*
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: portrait of Sofiia, a 22 years old cam girl in the studio where she works.
China, Jinan, Shandong province, October 2015: portrait of Dong Xiao Shuai, a 15 years old boy in the "Ya Bo center", a military boot-camp for reeducation of young people who are suffering from excessive online game playing. Dong Xiao Shuai is living in the boot-camp since 1 months.
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: a cam girl using a remotely controlled sex device in a studio.
China, Jinan, Shandon?g province, October 2015 - Int?ernees during the military tra?ining at the "Ya Bo center", a? military boot-camp for reeduc?ation of young people who are ?by the majority suffering from? excessive online game playing?.
Republic of Korea, September 2015: trophies at the Korea e-Sports Association’s headquarter. KeSPA is a South Korean government’s body established to manage e-sports and member of the Korean Olympic Committee and the International e-Sports Federation.
Russian Federation, Siberia, Novosibirsk, November 2021: portait of Alina.
Kissufim, Israel, February 201?7 - Northwestern Negev Desert.? Operation and Observation Uni?t soldiers at the entrance of ?Kissufim Observation Room, loc?ated in the Kissufim IDF base,? where soldiers can observe th?e opposite side of the border ?via UGV (unmanned ground vehic?le) and cameras placed on Pask?al stations - antennae that ar?e 200-300 meters high. With th?e help of these devices, the u?nit's soldiers can constantly ?control every activity at the ?arab-israelian border. The uni?t belongs to the combat intell?igence corps and it is in char?ge of studying the territory a?nd help the ground forces to u?nderstand the situation on the? ground. For this reason it is? also called "the eye of the s?tate". ><Kissufim, Israele, ?febbraio 2017 - Deserto nord-o?ccidentale del Negev. Soldates?se della Operation and Observa?tion Unit chiacchierano all'en?trata della Kissufim Observati?on Room, situata nella base de?ll'IDF di Kissufim, dove l'uni?tà di soldati può monitorare i?l lato opposto del confine gra?zie ai dati provenienti dagli ?UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) ?e dalle telecamere posizionate? sulle stazioni Paskal, antenn?e alte 200-300 metri. Con l'ai?uto di queste telecamere l'uni?tà controlla costantemente qua?lsiasi attività presso il conf?ine arabo-israeliano. La Opera?tion and Observation Unit fa p?arte delle unità di combattime?nto e intelligence ed è respon?sabile del controllo delle fro?ntiere, oltre ad essere incari?cata di studiare il territorio? ed aiutare le forze di terra ?a comprendere la situazione su?l campo. Per questo motivo è c?hiamata "gli occhi dello stato?”. *Stitched photograph*
China, Jinan, Shandon g province, October 2015 - games belonging to internee at the "Ya Bo center", a military boot-camp for reeducation of young people who are by the majority suffering from excessive online game playing .
Romania, Bucharest, March 2016: portait of a 23 years old cam model in a room of "Studio 20" before her night shift.
Russian Federation, Moscow, December 2021: teen agers playing in a VR game room.
Republic of Korea, Seoul, September 2015: the national final of Star Craft - one of the most popular massively multiplayer online games (MMOCs) in the world - held in a stadium at the Seoul Children's Grand Park. MMOGs are video games that simultaneously involve thousands of players connected through the Internet. According to data released by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, the extreme popularity of online videogames, also called E-sports, is the source of 90% of the pathological addictions from the Internet that afflict the youth population of the country. / Repubblica di Corea, Seoul, settembre 2015: la finale nazionale di Star Craft, uno dei giochi online massively multiplayer (MMOC) più popolari al mondo, tenuta in uno stadio del Seoul Children's Grand Park. I MMOG sono videogiochi che coinvolgono contemporaneamente migliaia di giocatori connessi tramite Internet. Secondo i dati diffusi dal Ministero della Salute e del Welfare coreano, l'estrema popolarità dei videogiochi online, chiamati anche E-sports, è all'origine del 90% delle dipendenze patologiche da Internet che affliggono la popolazione giovanile del Paese.*Stitched photograph*
Republic of Ghana, Northern Region, Tamale, October 2016: young audience during a concert organized and financed by a local gang of Sakawa Boys. Sakawa is a widespread practice in Ghana and other West African countries which combines modern Internet-based fraud practices with traditional rituals (Ju-ju) which are mostly in the form of sacrifices made so that a supreme being aids them in getting whatever they may ask from their victims./ Repubblica del Ghana, Regione Settentrionale, Tamale, Ottobre 2016: il pubblico dirante un concerto organizzato e finanziato da una gang locale di Sakawa Boys. Il termine Sakawa indica una pratica diffusa in Ghana ed altri paesi dell'Africa Occidentale che combina attività di frode online con sacrifici rituali tradizionali (Ju-ju) allo scopo di ottenere l'aiuto delle potenze superiori per convincere le vittime a soddisfare qualsiasi richiesta.*Stitched photograph*
Russian Federation, Sant Petersburg December 2021: a family in a selfie point located in a shopping mall.
Italy, Milan March 2013: a children playing a digital game. / Italia, Marzo 2013:L una bambina mentre gioca a un gioco digitale.*Stitched photograph*
Republic of Ghana, Gomoa Fetteh, Central Region, May 2019: young worshipers during a service at the Church of Pentecost's Pentecost Convention Center.According to a Pew Research Center’s report titled “The Age Gap in Religion Around the World”, Georgia and Ghana are the only two countries in the world where young people aged 18-39 are more religious than those aged 40 and above.>The Church of Pentecost is a church originating from Ghana claiming worldwide in over 20,000 congregations with more than 3 million members and is considered to be one of the leading charismatic churches in Ghana. La Church of Pentecost è una chiesa originaria del Ghana che si afferma in tutto il mondo in oltre 20.000 congregazioni con oltre 3 milioni di membri ed è considerata una delle principali chiese carismatiche del Ghana. *Stitched photograph*
Ukraine, Charkiv, February 2022: interior view of a Studio for Cam girls.
Romania, Ia?i, April 2016: an advertisement billboard in a street of the city promising daily earnings for the cam models between 300 and 800 RON (approx. between 66 and 178 euros).
Russian Federation, Sant Petersburg December 2021: interior view of a beauty salon.
Republic of Korea, Seoul, September 20?15: security camera in a park. / Repubblica di Korea, Seul, Settembre 2015: telecamere digitali di sicurezza in un parco.
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: botox injection in a beauty clinic.
Republic of Korea, Seoul, Augu?st 2015 - A partially-sighted ?9-year-old boy using a digital? magnifier during a lesson at ?the "Han Bit School for Blind.?" >< Repubblica di Corea, Seul?, agosto 2015 - Un bambino ipo?vedente di 9 anni mentre usa u?na lente di ingrandimento digi?tale durante una lezione in un?a classe della "Han Bit School? for blind".
Republic of Korea, Seongnam, G?yeonggi-do, Pangyo, September ?2015 - An exterior view of the? NCsoft's headquarter. NCsoft ?is the second producer of onli?ne games in South Korea. *Stitched photograph*
Republic of Korea, Gyeonggi, Suwon, September 2015 - Samsung Digital city, the headquarter office of Samsung - Employees coming back to work after the lunch break. >< Repubblica di Corea, Gyeonggi, Suwon, settembre 2015 - Samsung Digital City, il quartier generale della Samsung - Impiegati dopo la fine della pausa pranzo.*Stitched photograph*
Romania, Bucharest, March 2016: a Pc operator in the office of the "Studio 20" checking the work of a cam model in the virtual reality room. / Romania, Bucarest, Marzo 2016: una operatrice Pc controlla il lavoro di una cam model nella stanza della realtà virtuale.*Stitched photograph*
Republic of Ghana, Eastern Region, Akuapim, May 2019: students at the main entrance of Anagkazo Bible & Ministry Training Center (ABMTC) - Mampong Campus, a Bible School founded in 1996 by the Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International Bishop Dag Heward-Mills. According to a Pew Research Center’s report titled “The Age Gap in Religion Around the World”, Georgia and Ghana are the only two countries in the world where young people aged 18-39 are more religious than those aged 40 and above.>Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI),  founded in 1988 by Dag Heward-Mills and headquartered in Accra it is considered to be one of the leading charismatic churches in Ghana, and has over 3000 branches in over 50 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas. Lighthouse Chapel International is one of the largest of the Pentecostal churches that have appeared since the late 1970s in cities in Africa. Its founder is nowadays considered among the richest pastors in Ghana.Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI), fondata nel 1988 da Dag Heward-Mills e con sede ad Accra, è considerata una delle principali chiese carismatiche del Ghana e conta oltre 3000 filiali in oltre 50 paesi in Africa, Europa, Asia, i Caraibi, l'Australia, il Medio Oriente e le Americhe. Lighthouse Chapel International è una delle più grandi chiese pentecostali apparse dalla fine degli anni '70 nelle città dell'Afri
Romania, Bucharest, March 2016: interior view of a room of "Studio 20".
Seoul, Republic of Korea, August 2015: / a professor during a lesson in the broad casting studios of the Korea Soongsil Cyber University. A Cyber University is a university at wich students can take courses and receive bachelor's degrees via the Internet. In 2000, the South Korean's Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development approved what it called "long distance university" through wich students can pursue higher-level education regardless of time or place. / Seoul, Repubblica di Corea, Agosto 2015: un professore durante una lezione in uno studio di registrazione della Korea Soongsil Cyber University. Una Cyber University è un' università in cui gli studenti posso seguire corsi e ricevere lauree via Internet. Nel 2000 il Ministero dell' Educazione e dello Sviluppo delle risorse umane Sud Coreano, ha approvato la formazione delle così dette "long distance university" attraverso le quali gli studenti posso avere accesso ad un istruzione superiore indipendentemente dall loro posizione geografica e dagli orari dei corsi.*Stitched photograph*
Italy, Rome, June 2021: young tourists at Puazza Navona. / Italia, Roma, Giugno 2021: giovani turisti in visita a Puazza Navona.
Italy, Milan, March 2013: portrait of a 13 years old cosplay. / Italia, Milano, Marzo 2013: ritratto di una cosplay di 13 anni.
Republic of Ghana, Accra, September 2016: a street scene in the district of Adabraka.*Stitched photograph*
Italy, Rome, March 2015: portrait of Parancini Simone, 15 years old gamer in his bedroom. / Italia, Roma, Marzo 2015: ritratto di Parancini Simone, gamer di15 anni, nella sua stanza da letto.*Stitched photograph*
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: view of a class of the Gymnase n 75, one of the school evacuated due to a fake news reaching the government about a bomb alarm in January 18.
Cina, Pechino, Giugno 2017: Caicai Yang, di 20 anni e Yufen Xue, di 21 anni, entrambe Wang Hong (Internet celebrites), nei dormitori della Three Minutes Tv dove vivono e lavorano. Caicai Yang ha 10,000 followers and Yufen Xue ha 90,000 followers. Three minutes TV è una agenzia di Wang Hong che rappresenta più di 2000 artisti. L’E-commerce live broadcasting è la sua attività principale, il che significa che i Wang Hong servono come promotori per i prodotti in vendita sulle piattaforme di E-commerce. Offre uno studio con 100 stanze per il live broadcasting per JD.com e 200 stanze per il live broadcasting per Taobao di Alibaba. Il suo volume di vendita nell’ e-commerce ha raggiunto i 400.000.000 RMB nel 2016. L’azienda impiega Wang Hong online che lavorano dallo studio o da casa, e I Wang Hong Offline che vivono nei dormitori forniti da Three minutes TV. Tutti I Wang Hong lavorano almeno 6 ore al giorno e hanno 4 giorni liberi al mese. Il loro stipendio base è di 4000 RMB, con commissioni che variano dal 10% all'80%. / China, Beijing, June 2017: Caicai Yan, 20 years old, and Yufen Xue, 21 years old, both Wang Hong (Internet celebrities) in the dormitories of Three Minutes Tv where they live and work. Caicai Yang has 10,000 followers and Yufen Xue has 90,000 followers.Three minutes TV is an Internet celebrities agent company that has more than 2,000 contracted Wang Hong. E-commerce live broadcasting is its main feature, which means the broadcasters serve as promoters for products on E-commerce platforms. It has 100 broadcasting rooms for JD.com and 200 rooms for Alibaba’s Taobao. Its E-commerce sales volume in 2016 approached 400,000,000 RMB. The company uses online broadcasters working from the company’s studios and from home and offline broadcasters. The offline ones lives in the dorms provided by three minutes TV. Every kind of Wang Hong works at least 6 hours per day, and has 4 days off per month. Their basic salary is 4000 RMB, with commissions va
Republic of Korea, North Jeolla province, Muju, September 2015: portrait of a 8-years-old patient suffering by internet addiction at the National Center for Youth Internet Addiction Treatment commissioned by the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family. The boot-camp is held in a school and last three weeks. During this time the internees can't use any digital devices.
Romania, Bucharest, April 2016: view of a street at night. / Romania, Bucarest, aprile 2016: vista di una strada di notte.
Russian Federation, Sant Petersburg, December 2021: portrait of a 21 years old naval cadet.
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk, November 2021: a lesson of posing in a school for models.
Rome, Italy, March 2013: Angelica Maria Falchi, a 10 years old children, in the garden of the apartment where she lives. / Roma, Italia, Marzo 2013: Angelica Maria Falchi, una bambina di 10 anni, nel giardino dell'appartamento in cui vive.*Stitched photograph*
Germany, Leipzig June 2014: Ben, a 12 years old child in the living room of the flat where he lives with his family, while playing videogames. / Germania, Lipsia, Giugno 2014: Ben, un bambino di 6 anni nel soggiorno dell'appartamento in cui vive con la sua famiglia, mentre gioca a dei videogiochi*Stitched photograph*.
Republic of Korea, Seongnam, G?yeonggi-do, Pangyo, September ?2015 - The making of a videoga?me in the motion room located ?in the headquarter building of? Nexon, the most important Kor?ean company of online games. T?he motion room is where the re?al body's movements are record?ed by sensors and translated i?n a 3d digital language. >< Re?pubblica di Corea, Seongam, Gy?eonggi-do, Pangyo, settembre 2?015 - Il "making of" di un vid?eogioco nella motion room situ?ata nel quartier generale dell?a Nexon, il più importante pro?duttore coreano di videogiochi? online. La motion room è dove? i movimenti reali sono regist?rati dai sensori collocati sul?le tute e tradotti in linguagg?io digitale 3d. *Stitched photograph*
Russian Federation, Moscow December 2021: candy shop.
Republic of Ghana, Accra, October 2016: portrait of Mafi in New Town. / Repubblica del Ghana, Accra, Ottobre 2016: ritratto di Mafi a Stone Town.*Stitched photograph*
Republic of Ghana, Accra, October 2016: a Sakawa Boy's room. Sakawa is a widespread practice in Ghana and other West African countries which combines modern Internet-based fraud practices with traditional rituals (Ju-ju) which are mostly in the form of sacrifices made so that a supreme being aids them in getting whatever they may ask from their victims./ Repubblica del Ghana, Accra, Ottobre 2016: la stanza di un Sakawa Boy. Il termine Sakawa indica una pratica diffusa in Ghana ed altri paesi dell'Africa Occidentale che combina attività di frode online con sacrifici rituali tradizionali (Ju-ju) allo scopo di ottenere l'aiuto delle potenze superiori per convincere le vittime a soddisfare qualsiasi richiesta.
Italy, Rome, March 2020: the c?onsequences of coronavirus on ?the? capital town. An interior view of Termini Station. / Italia, Roma, Marzo 2020: le conseguenze del coronavirus sulla capitale. Una veduta interna della Stazione Termini.
Republic of Ghana, Accra, October 2016: portait of two Sakawa Boys hanging out in Labadi beach. Sakawa is a widespread practice in Ghana and other West African countries which combines modern Internet-based fraud practices with traditional rituals (Ju-ju) which are mostly in the form of sacrifices made so that a supreme being aids them in getting whatever they may ask from their victims. / Repubblica del Ghana, Accra, Ottobre 2016: ritratto di due Sakawa Boys presso Labadi Beach. Il termine Sakawa indica una pratica diffusa in Ghana ed altri paesi dell'Africa Occidentale che combina attività di frode online con sacrifici rituali tradizionali (Ju-ju) allo scopo di ottenere l'aiuto delle potenze superiori per convincere le vittime a soddisfare qualsiasi richiesta.
Norway, Oslo, February 2018: portrait of Brandon Bryant (1985 in Missoula, Montana) a 32 years old former US Air Force One's MQ-1B Predator sensor operator and image analyst turned into whistleblower. Since 2006 and for six years he conducted "targeted killing" and "intel gathering" operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria from air bases in Nellis (Nevada, USA), Clovis (New Mexico, USA) and Balad (Iraq). He is currently living between Montana and Norway where he helds lectures in public and private schools to students between 14 and 20 years old, within the educationl program called "Cultural Backpack".During his military carreer Bryant had logged nearly 6,000 hours of flight time and scored 1626 enemies killed in action. / Norvegia, Oslo, febbraio 2018: ritratto di Brandon Bryant (1985, Missoula, Montana), un ex operatore di droni MQ-1B Predator dell'aviazione militare statunitense di 32 anni e attualmente attivo come whistleblower. Dal 2006 e per sei anni ha condotto operazioni di "targeted killing" ed "intel gathering" in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia e Siria dalla basi aeree di Nellis (Nevada, USA), Clovis (New Mexico, USA) ) e Balad (Iraq). Attualmente vive tra il Montana e la Norvegia dove tiene lezioni in scuole pubbliche e private per studenti tra i 14 ei 20 anni, nell'ambito del programma educativo chiamato "Cultural Backpack". Durante la sua carriera militare, Bryant ha registrato quasi 6.000 ore di volo e ha conteggiato 1626 nemici uccisi in azioni militari.
Russian Federation, Siberia, Altai Territories, November 2021: a kid taking a selfie of his family.
Republic of Gh?ana, Accra, October 2016: view of Agbogblosh?ie, the world's largest e-wast?e dump. Thousands of kids and teens living here mainly live out by dismantling electronical devices to get? metals and datas. Due to higly toxic environment most of th?e young residents of Agbogblosh?ie die from cancer in t?heir early 20s./Repubblica del Gh?ana, Accra, ottobre 2016: vista di Agbogblosh?ie, la discarica di rifiuti elettronici più grande del mondo. Migliaia di bambini e adolescenti vivono qui principalmente smantellando dispositivi elettronici per ottenere metalli e dati. A causa dell'ambiente altamente tossico, la maggior parte dei giovani residenti di Agbogblosh?ie muore di cancro intorno ai 20 anni.
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: portrait of a 17 years old member of the 130th Batallion of Territorial Defence Forces during a training.
Ukraine, Kiev, January 2022: the 130th Batallion of Territorial Defence Forces during a training in Dresna area located in the north of the city.
Russian Federation, Moscow December 2021: a courrier of Delivery Club, the largest food and grocery delivery service in Russia. Since April 2021, Delivery Club has been delivering to 316 cities in Russia. More than 43,000 restaurants are connected to the service (both as a home delivery service and as a takeaway ordering service) and more than 3,900 grocery stores. / Federazione Russa, Mosca Dicembre 2021: un corriere del Delivery Club, il più grande servizio di consegna di generi alimentari e generi alimentari in Russia. Dall'aprile 2021, Delivery Club effettua consegne in 316 città della Russia. Al servizio sono collegati più di 43.000 ristoranti (sia come servizio di consegna a domicilio che come servizio di ordinazione da asporto) e più di 3.900 negozi di alimentari.

GEO Germany, November 2018

La Repubblica, August 2017

GEO Kompact, June 2016

maccotta-bootcamp-cina-cnn

CNN, April 2016

IO Donna, February 2016

IO Donna, September 2015