The relationship between the Chinese government and me is like a Cold War.
AI WEIWEIIf civil society has nobody who protects the law, then what kind of society is that?
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I’m saying is common sense.
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You need a purpose to express yourself, but that expression is its own purpose.
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Otherwise, I think the building can be bigger, larger, and the city can be much more crazy. The problem is the government structure is so deadly stupid, not really solving problems but creating a lot of problems itself every day.
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This week, the world gathers in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic games. This is the extraordinary moment China has been dreaming of for 100 years.
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I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questioning and asking for accountability. That’s the only chance we have today of a healthy and happy life.
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The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.
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As a total activity – I practice curating, art, architecture, writing, and publishing all together. I still act as a living creature.
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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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Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I’m not nostalgic about the old city. I don’t enjoy it that much.
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It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that.
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Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?
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China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.
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Now you have the equal opportunity to equip yourself through information and knowledge and express yourself as an independent mind.
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[Cultural department] understand nothing but bureaucratic daily affairs. They don’t care about culture.
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The Internet changes the structure of society all the time — this massiveness made of individuals.
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I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.
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The Internet is the best thing that ever happened to China. It turns us into individuals and also enables us to share our perceptions and feelings. It creates a culture of individualism and exchange even though the real society doesn’t promote it.
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Any 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.
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The fantasy we had with pearls was always so luxurious and unique with a kind of rareness.
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We are living in a popular culture where everything is overexposed.
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I loved New York — every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong — visually and intellectually. It was like a monster.
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A society is healthy only when it allows its members to discuss their thoughts openly. This is also the only way that a society can gather consensus, let everyone express his or her wish, and foster creativity.
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You start to see the society, how it functions, how it works. Then you have a lot of criticism about how it works.
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I think everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it’s all we need.
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The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.
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We should use this public sphere and redefine – beyond China’s borders – what a government is allowed to do, where its powers end and where the realm of a citizen’s privacy begins.
AI WEIWEI