A clear understanding of such differences will help the rest of the world understand China and all that is happening to the nation.
AI WEIWEIAny politician who respects China’s government should tell it openly what is in his heart. It is disrespectful to keep quiet about such issues – both vis-a-vis the government and the people concerned.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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The American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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I think Allen [Ginsberg] was a person who’s like a child.
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You have so many museums in the West, and so many shows, you need somebody to show the work, otherwise it’s empty.
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I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
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You can never know what is and what is not powerful, but you can always find out what the powerful people are scared of.
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I am very much interested in the so-called useless object. I mean, it takes perfect craftsmanship, beautiful material carefully measured and crafted, but at the same time it’s really useless.
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The whole Chinese system – not just the political leadership, the military too, the whole power structure, our education system, the whole of society – is suffering from being cut off from the free flow of information.
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It’s the place they take you before they give you over to the judicial system. You stay there for a year or two and they make you really suffer to confess everything.
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We grew up in a very material-lacking socialist society, but today China is a capitalist society. It’s very materialistic. It’s full of desire and luxury goods.
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If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it’s a human need.
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Democracy, material wealth, and universal education are the soil upon which modernism exists.
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It’s just a way you have to set up some kind of activities to follow your instincts or your curiosities.
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The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.
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During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon.
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You only have temporary curiosity, amusement, and challenges, but that does not necessarily mean you are really convinced that it’s necessary or that it’s not even worth to do it.
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Politics is like air and water. And you know if there is bad politics. Everyone is polluted. Everyone is unhealthy. See the people walking on the street: how they act.
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Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the final voice, but it requires each individual to act. If we don’t act, then the result is very clear.
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When you have strict censorship of the internet, young students cannot receive a full education. Their view of the world is imbalanced. There can be no true discussion of the issues.
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I don’t believe in a sense of home.
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Once you’ve tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country.
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The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility.
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It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that. There are crises and emergencies all the time, we might not even be aware of some. But I am afraid we’ll have to wait and observe precisely what the government is up to.
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A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.
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My angst and my insecurity reflect the state’s angst and insecurity. The state is scared too.
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Everyone of us is a potential convict.
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Whenever there is injustice, there is tension. But in China it is very hard to release your anger unless you burn yourself or you jump from a bridge. In a society where there is no freedom of the press, it is difficult for victims to be noticed.
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