1. This year's Toronto series of the If I Can't Dance reading group is a double response to its itinerant activities and their Edition V, which explores the dynamic between appropriation/dedication. Initiated by Jacob Korczynski in association with Art Metropole, it will be hosted by various Toronto institutions, organizations, and initiatives, and moderated by members of each: Art Metropole, Gendai Mobile Unit, No Reading After the Internet, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, TPW R&D, and Whippersnapper Gallery. It is free and open to the public.

      Art Metropole is an internationally renowned artist-run centre that promotes the appreciation and importance of conceptually based art and is specialized in the contextualization and dissemination of artist’s books, multiples, and related materials with an emphasis on innovative formats and emergent technologies.

    2. Bibliography

      • Glassco, M., 'Contested Images: The Politics and Poetics of Appropriation', dissertation, University of Iowa, 2012, as it appears here.
      • Graw, I., 'Dedication Replacing Appropriation: Fascination, Subversion, and Dispossession in Appropriation Art' in Louise Lawler and others, Lawler, L. et. al. (Eds),  Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2004, pp 45-67.
      • Oleson, H., 'Pre-Post, Speaking Backwards', in Art After Conceptual Art, Alberro, Al., and Buchman, S., MIT Press, Cambridge, 2006.
      • Gerber, C., HIT, Kolb, L., Rüegger, R., and With With (Eds.), This Book Is A Classroom, Passenger Books, Berlin, 2013.
      • Steer, L., 'Photographic Appropriation, Ethnography, and the Surrealist Other', The Comparatist. Volume 32, 2008, pp 63-81.
      • Wood, Allen., Karl Marx, 2nd ed., Routledge, New York, 2004 (1981), p 41. 
    1. Reading Groups

    2. If I Can’t Dance’s Reading Group started in 2006 and has been taking place monthly ever since. The Reading Group is a gathering of artists, critical thinkers, writers and various other readers from in- and outside the field of contemporary art, who come together at our office on Westerdok to discuss new topics and directions in performative art practice and their relation to social and political issues. The Reading Group’s monthly reading material is currently accruing through investigation into the thematic of Appropriation and Dedication.

      Alongside the Reading Group in Amsterdam, Sister Reading Groups are convened in New York, São Paulo and Toronto. Reading materials and key points of discussion are shared among the three groups. 

      1. READING GROUP

        16 December 2016, 7pm

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #8

        Thiago Mendonça
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      2. READING GROUP

        11 December 2016, 3pm

        Toronto – Event and Duration #5

        Kristine Khouri and Rasha Salti, and Peter Wollen
        8-11, Toronto
      3. READING GROUP

        17 November 2016, 7.30pm

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #7

        Elizabeth Grosz and The Invisible Committee
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      4. READING GROUP

        25 September 2016, 3pm

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #6

        Praça Roosevelt, São Paulo
      5. READING GROUP

        21 September 2016, 8pm

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #6

        R.D. Laing
        If I Can’t Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      6. VISITOR ACCOUNT

        Visitor accounts by Andrew James Paterson and Rosemary Heather of Chroma Lives, Camrost Felcorp Yorkville Plaza Sales Centre, Toronto, 1 – 30 June 2016

        Chroma Lives – Erin Alexa Freedman and Lili Huston-Herterich
      7. READING GROUP


        31 August 2016, 7pm


        Toronto – Event and Duration #4

        Octavia Butler
        
 8-11, Toronto
      8. READING GROUP


        26 August 2016, 7.30pm


        São Paulo – Event and Duration #5

        Chris Marker
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo

      9. READING GROUP

        27 July 2016

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #5

        José Esteban Muñoz
        If I Can’t Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      10. READING GROUP

        26 July 2016, 8–11pm

        Toronto – Event and Duration #3

        Lizzie Borden and Octavia Butler
        350 King Street West, Toronto
      11. READING GROUP

        22 July 2016, 7.30pm

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #4

        Vladimir Safatle
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      12. READING GROUP

        24 June 2016, 7.30pm

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #3

        Hannah Arendt, Peter Pál Pelbart, Vladimir Safatle, Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      13. READING GROUP

        22 June 2016

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #4

        Jon Davies and Elizabeth Freeman
        If I Can’t Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      14. READING GROUP

        17 June 2016, 7–9pm

        Toronto – Event and Duration #2

        Jon Davies and Tim Jocelyn
        Camrost Felcorp Yorkville Plaza Sales Centre, 21 Avenue Road, Toronto
      15. READING GROUP

        3 June 2016

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #2

        Paul B. Preciado, Davi Kopenawa and Bruce Albert
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      16. READING GROUP

        18 May 2016

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #3

        Henri Lefebvre, Emily Roysdon, and Gertrude Stein
        If I Can’t Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      17. READING GROUP

        15 May 2016, 1–4pm

        Toronto – Event and Duration #1

        Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer and Lee Lozano
        8-11, Toronto
      18. VISITOR ACCOUNT

        Visitor Account by Evelyn Wan of Propositions on the Subject, De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, 8 April 2016

        Keti Chukhrov and Nataša Ilić/WHW, Alicia Frankovich, Xavier Le Roy
      19. READING GROUP

        27 April 2016

        São Paulo – Event and Duration #1

        Bojana Kunst
        ateliê coletivo, São Paulo
      20. READING GROUP


        20 April 2016

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #2

        Paul Chan and Chus Martinez
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      21. READING GROUP

        23 March 2016

        Amsterdam – Event and Duration #1

        Elizabeth Grosz and Alison Knowles
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      22. Reading Group

        8 October 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #15

        Donald W. Winnicott, Melanie Klein
        If I Can't Dance Offices
      23. Reading Group

        10 September 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #14

        David Rodowick, Hito Steyerl and Jean-François Lyotard
        If I Can't Dance Offices
      24. Reading Group

        11 August 2014

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #10

        Anne Carson
        Cob Fire Pit, Dufferin Grove Park
      25. Reading Group

        30 May 2014

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #9

        Annie MacDonell, Maïder Fortuné, Frances Stark
        Toronto Reference Library
      26. Reading Group

        14 May 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #13

        Michel Foucault, Fred Moten
        If I Can't Dance Offices
      27. READING GROUP

        23 April 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #12

        Graham Harman, Nathan Brown
        If I Can't Dance Offices
      28. reading group

        2 April 2014

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #8

        Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin, Naomi Pearce
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      29. reading group

        19 March 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #11

        Elizabeth Harney, Okwui Enwezor, El Sy
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      30. reading group

        4 March 2014

        New York - Appropriation and Dedication #4

        Kelly Dennis, Donald Kuspit, Jerry Saltz
        ISSUE Project Room, New York
      31. reading group

        19 February 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #10

        Georgia Jones and Patrick D. Flores
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      32. reading group

        25 January 2014

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #7

        Pauline Oliveros
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      33. reading group

        22 January 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #9

        Richard Bell, Eric Michaels
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      34. reading group

        14 January 2014

        New York - Appropriation and Dedication #3

        Darby English, Craig Owens
        ISSUE Project Room, New York
      35. reading group

        18 December 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #8

        Fred Moten, Claire Bishop
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      36. reading group

        12 December 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #6

        Sergio González Rodríguez & Gauri Gill
        Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto
      37. reading group

        11 December 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #7

        Slavoj Zizek
        Teatro Oficina – São Paulo
      38. reading group

        20 November 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #7

        Adrian Piper, Emma Hedditch
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      39. reading group

        7 November 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #7

        Mario de Andrade
        Teatro Oficina – São Paulo
      40. Reading Group

        5 November 2014

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #16

        Louis Althusser, Lyn Hejinian, Rachel Blau du Plessis
        If I Can't Dance Offices
      41. reading group

        29 October 2013

        New York - Appropriation and Dedication #2

        Bruce Hainley & Giorgio Agamben
        ISSUE Project Room, New York
      42. reading group

        23 October 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #6

        Alfred Gell, Magnus Course
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      43. reading group

        17 October 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #5

        Teresa de Lauretis & Corinn Gerber
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      44. reading group

        10 October 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #6

        Mario de Andrade
        Teatro Oficina – São Paulo
      45. reading group

        18 September 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #5

        Haroldo de Campos, Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      46. READING GROUP

        25 August 2013, 12:00 – 20:00

        Summer Open Reading Group

        Alex Martinis Roe
        Countryside, near Amsterdam
      47. reading group

        6 July 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #4

        Sigmund Freud & Michael Lobel
        The Power Plant, Toronto
      48. reading group

        27 June 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #4

        Haroldo de Campos & Fabio Morais
        Centro Cultural São Paulo, São Paulo - CCSP
      49. reading group

        25 June 2013

        New York - Appropriation and Dedication #1

        Isabelle Graw & David Harvey
        ISSUE Project Room, New York
      50. reading group

        5 June 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #4

        Craig Owens
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      51. READING GROUP

        25 May 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #3

        Linda M. Steer, Isabelle Graw, Allen Wood
        TPW R&D, Toronto
      52. READING GROUP

        23 May 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #3

        Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
        Centro Cultural, São Paulo
      53. READING GROUP

        8 May 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #3

        Peter Stallybrass
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      54. READING GROUP

        20 April 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #2

        Isabelle Graw & Michael Alan Glassco
        Whippersnapper Gallery, Toronto
      55. READING GROUP

        10 April 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #2

        Marx, Wood, Levine & Kruger
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      56. READING GROUP

        10 April 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #2

        Marx, Wood, Levine & Kruger
        Teatro Oficina, São Paulo
      57. READING GROUP

        23 March 2013

        Toronto - Appropriation and Dedication #1

        Henrik Olesen & This Book is a Classroom
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      58. READING GROUP

        6 March 2013

        Amsterdam - Appropriation and Dedication #1

        Isabelle Graw & David Harvey
        If I Can't Dance Offices, Amsterdam
      59. READING GROUP

        27 February 2013

        São Paulo - Appropriation and Dedication #1

        Isabelle Graw & David Harvey
        Teatro Oficina, São Paulo
      60. performance

        9 – 10 May 2012

        Five Sisters at MoMA, New York

        Guy de Cointet
        MoMA, New York
      61. reading group

        22 February 2012

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #6

        Jeremiah Day & Simone Forti
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      62. reading group

        25 January 2012

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #5

        Hito Steyerl
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      63. reading group

        21 December 2011

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #4

        Sung Hwan Kim
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      64. reading group

        30 November 2011

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #3

        Emily Wardill & Brian Massumi
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      65. reading group

        24 October 2011

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #2

        Wendelien van Oldenborgh & Brian Massumi
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      66. reading group

        27 September 2011

        Reading Group in Toronto Affect #1

        Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick & Michael Hardt
        Art Metropole, Toronto
      Editions
        If I Can't Dance,
        I Don't Want to Be Part of
        Your Revolution
          Publications
            Agenda