The Lecture Performance Is Dead, Hurray for the Lecture! (Or) Do Not Look to the Artist for Innovation, and Neither to the Scientist!

This contribution takes the form of a script for a fictional performance by two characters: flora lysen and antye guenther. This staged event takes place at the stedelijk museum in amsterdam, where the two characters perform, giving a presentation about their collaborative practice at a conference event organized by ted. The frame of the performance turns the museum visitors into members of the ted talk audience. Through the format of the performance script, this contribution engages with different genres of performing positioned between arts and academia (performative lectures, lecture performances, lectures, demonstrations, presentations). It explores a “show not tell” approach through demonstrating elements of “performativity” in lecturing (enacting, calling into being) by means of “performing” on paper (emphasising dramatic elements in dialogues, gestures, stage directions and stage design). The central theme of the performance is the possibility of collaborative work between visual artists and academic scholars, zooming in on differing perspectives on the relationship between content, form and performativity.keywordsperformance scriptarts-academia collaborationinterdisciplinarityperformativitylecture performanceperformative lecturingfictionalised ted talk