Wild Card, feat. Femi Dawkins

Versatile composer and pianist Martin Fondse and multidisciplinary artist Femi Dawkins explore the power of the Wild Card: the unpredictable factor, the joker that defies rules and moves freely between structures.

In the card game, the Wild Card is the trump, the symbol of ultimate freedom. It can take on any role, break established patterns, and bring unexpected twists. In society, the Wild Card serves a similar function: it is the thinker, the disruptor, the artist—questioning rigid ideas and creating space for something new. Radical love, radical hope—anything is possible.

For Wild Card, Martin and Femi dive into a world where acoustic instruments, electronics, spoken word, poetry, and visual arts merge. Through live sampling and projections of Dawkins’ visual work, they engage in dialogue with each other and their surroundings. There is no fixed script—Wild Card brings surprises, improvisation, and a constantly shifting perspective.

In this collaboration between Martin Fondse and Femi Dawkins, the Wild Card becomes a voice: radical, poetic, and confronting. Dawkins’ powerful, socially critical texts about justice, the legacy of slavery, and the human search for meaning create a striking dialogue with Martin’s reflective and adventurous music. Here, no roles are predefined—both take on the Wild Card position, moving freely between disciplines and embracing the unexpected.

Credits:
Compositions, piano, electronics: Martin Fondse 
Spoken word & visuals: Femi Dawkins