De-consolation is based on text fragments by the Brazilian author André Sant’Anna: a mixture of wit, irony, and political incorrectness, where subjectively impoverished characters are confronted with the cruel proliferations of our hypermedial and money-hungry world. In the concert performance, minimalist actions confront, on an equal level, philosophical notions with pop and trivial culture.
Fernanda Farah’s video work interlaces the world of photonovelas of the 1950s to 1980s with the visuality of Sant’Anna’s texts. His figures could come from nowadays’ trashy suburbia. His minimalist and unpredictable narration leads to unexpected leaps of interpretation. Farah proceeds in a similar way by rearranging and varying the media images, thus creating her own live photonovela.
Chico Mello’s compositional approach is based on vocal anatomy: the vowels of the texts generate a sequence of pitches, making the strong musicality of Sant‘Anna‘s texts audible. In cooperation with the Ensemble Adapter, Fernanda Farah’s and Chico Mello’s canon-like songs expand into polyphonic music, a de-consolation between chamber music and band music.

Chico Mello: Composition, voice, guitar
Fernanda Farah: voice, video
Ensemble Adapter: Kristjana Helgadóttir (flute),
Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson (clarinet), Gunnhildur
Einarsdóttir (harp), Matthias Engler (percussion)

Chico Mello (BRA/GER)
is a composer, performer, musicologist, and music educator. International and intercultural work experimental improvisation, music theater and Brazilian popular music.
https://vimeo.com/channels/1003931

Fernanda Farah (BRA/GER)
has trained in acting, music, dance, and singing. In Berlin since 2000, she develops her own creations, acts, writes music, and performs. She is co-curator of the series Labor Sonor at Kunsthaus KuLe, Berlin.
https://vimeo.com/user5138418