Ed Fornieles on Identity in the Internet Age

Artist Ed Fornieles joins Verse Talk to discuss Borrowed Lives: Anon 2026, a  body of work exploring how the internet shapes identity.The conversation ranges from Tumblr and 4chan to memes, online belonging, gamer culture, masculinity, AI, and what it means to grow up in a world where images never stop arriving.Along the way, Ed discusses his wider practice, why online communities matter, and how visual culture quietly changes the way we think about ourselves.00:00 Introduction03:45 Introducing Ed Fornieles & Borrowed Lives: Anon05:45 How Tumblr inspired the project08:35 4chan, anonymity and internet culture12:00 Cell: recreating online communities in real life20:25 "The memes meme you"22:55 Why Borrowed Lives isn't a traditional narrative25:10 Growing up through images29:45 Building Anon: research, internet rabbit holes & image collecting34:40 Inside the artworks: grids, chapters and visual storytelling37:20 Why it's called Borrowed Lives39:45 Are online communities inherently dangerous?44:35 Masculinity, belonging and growing up online49:45 How the artworks are actually made53:00 Pepe, Wojak and the evolution of internet identity56:10 Future characters, AI and where the project goes next58:50 Raising teenagers in the internet age1:02:15 Final thoughts