These words of Eric Hobsbawm, the Marxist historian and fellow Cantabrigan, were quoted readily at the Serpentine Gallery’s ‘Memory Marathon’ last weekend. Described as ‘idea festivals’, the Marathons are annual gatherings. Taking place over the Frieze weekend, the Serpentine’s Marathon events are veritable smorgasbords of multi-disciplinary performances, speeches and films by some of the world’s leading minds. Dedicated to Hobsbawm after his recent death, the theme of ‘Memory’ seemed particularly appropriate. It is also a perfect reflection of the life project of Hans Ulrich Obrist, the gallery’s co-director; an obsessive archive of almost all his conversations allowed the weekend to seem like a microcosmic sneak peek at his collection. Brought together with only the instruction to speak or show something which they feel is appropriate to the theme, the high calibre of participants, including Tilda Swinton, John Berger and Douglas Coupland, belied the small and intimate feel of the event. 

A particular highlight for me was Jean-Yves Tadié’s talk, ‘Is there such a thing as involuntary memory?’, which focused on one of my favourite literary moments, Proust’s encounter with a tea-soaked madeleine. While the main event was housed in a softly creaking geodesic dome, ticketless viewers could watch on screens in this year’s subterranean cork Pavilion – where a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere provided the perfect riposte to the exclusivity of Frieze. 

One of the reasons I love the Serpentine Gallery so much is that it has this magnetic ability to attract a hugely diverse crowd. There never seems to be any question of appropriate age there – at one point in the day I found myself incredibly jealous of how cool the parents of the toddler watching Daniel Buren must be. I know. Jealous of a three year old. 

The true brilliance of the three-day event, however, was its ability to create and sustain interest in topics that audience members may never otherwise have explored. I commend both Marcus du Sautoy and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, who managed to get me not only to tolerate, but to seriously engage with, their respective presentations on the mathematics of pattern-searching and virtual memory. 

A strangely organic balance somehow developed between the modern and archaic; Marina Warner’s discussion of the processes of story telling – in reference to Shahrazad – somehow flowed on from an exploration of robotic memory from Luc Steels. This was not just another pretentious opportunity for the arty to get together and peacock, but a fantastically well-curated and welcoming conference for the creative. In the words of Rirkrit Tiravanija: “Remember to Forget” – just not the dates of next year’s Marathon.