ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Richard John Seymour's 'Consumed' Exposes Industrial Exploitation in China

digital · 2026-04-27

Richard John Seymour's short film 'Consumed,' shot in 2016 and previously awarded at festivals, is now available online. The documentary-fiction hybrid traces China's industrial production chain from raw material extraction to factory assembly and export, highlighting exploitation, dehumanization, and environmental damage through the voice of a single worker and rhythmic machinery sounds.

Key facts

  • The short film 'Consumed' was shot in 2016.
  • It won several awards at festivals and competitions.
  • The film is now available online.
  • It explores industrial production in China.
  • The narrative covers raw material extraction, factory assembly, and export.
  • The film blurs the line between documentary and fiction.
  • It is narrated by a single worker's voice.
  • Background sounds include rhythmic machinery noise.

Entities

Artists

  • Richard John Seymour

Locations

  • China

Sources