Marathon Lexicon was an eight hour performance-lecture in the form of an A to Z, moving from accounts of Accidents and Anti-Climaxes through Breath and Blood to the consideration of Charisma, Crying, Fighting, Ghosts, Laughter, Loss, Rules, Silence, Trembling, Voyeurism and Waiting, before arrival at Zero.
Comprising original texts, videos, images and other contributions, from a wide range of contemporary writers, thinkers and artists connected to performance, Marathon Lexicon was a live event somewhere between an endurance panel presentation and a lecture running out of control.
Contributors included: Sara Jane Bailes, Simon Bayly, Steven Connor, Tim Etchells, Franko B, Hugo Glendinning, Matthew Goulish, Rinne Groff, Ant Hampton, Adrian Heathfield, Lin Hixson, Vlatka Horvat, Joe Kelleher, Jeremy Killick, Thomas Lehman, Andre Lepecki, Deborah Levy, Kate McIntosh, Peggy Phelan, Andrew Quick, Alan Read, Nick Ridout, Oscar Sahlieh, Elyce Semenec, Grant Smith, Willy Thomas, Allen Weiss, Lisa Wesley and David Williams.
Marathon Lexicon was curated by Tim Etchells and Adrian Heathfield and was performed by Forced Entertainment. It was first created for A Portrait of Forced Entertainment at Mousonturm, Frankfurt and was then performed at the London International Festival of Theatre, Riverside Studios London, the Hebbel Theatre Berlin, Kampnagel Hamburg and Kaaitheater Brussels.
Robin Arthur and Claire Marshall, Marathon Lexicon, Forced Entertainment, 2003. Photo: © Hugo Glendinning.