FERNANDO PEZZINO

​

In the Passwords and Identities series, Pezzino explores in detail how individuals can alter their identities—how we can change our online personas as we craft our digital presence. As everyday activities such as banking, shopping, learning, working and social interactions shift to new online platforms, we have the ability to recreate our identities and the versions of ourselves that we present to the world. How and why do we do this?

Pezzino’s work considers the fluid nature of these online identities. Passwords grant or deny access to information. A password is the first fingerprint that the individual lays down as he or she considers the online persona that will develop from that moment on. Do passwords tell us more about the hopes and intentions of online users as they present their personas to new and various audiences, or do passwords disclose more important information about the user’s true self?

How do passwords serve to grant us access to online and digital worlds—and how do they present as barriers that deny access to our true identities?

In 2020, as our headlines are dominated by discussions about AI, data breaches, internet privacy concerns, and sophisticated online disinformation campaigns meant to manipulate public opinion, Pezzino’s series feels timely and consequential.

​