Overcoming Severance: from Foxconn to Lumon (original) (raw)

In the exploration of the Apple TV+ series "Severance," this paper examines the concept of corporate identity and its portrayal through the lens of art and labor. The series utilizes a unique narrative device where workers undergo a procedure that bifurcates their memories between personal and professional lives. By analyzing the visual and thematic elements within the show, particularly the corporate art that blurs the line between genuine and commodified experiences, the paper argues that "Severance" serves as an allegory for modern corporate existence. It critiques the fragmentation of identity in the workplace while grappling with the tension between art and consumerism, ultimately positioning itself as a form of non-art striving to achieve autonomy from its corporate origins.