If there is no free speech, every single life has lived in vain
AI WEIWEIWhen human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That’s dangerous for human development.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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If there’s the right condition, I always want to express the concept or ideas in a very independent way.
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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 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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A few thousand are to be built in the next few years, all using taxpayer money. But there is no system, no research, no content, no good programs, no good managers.
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Everyone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it’s not a product; it’s an understanding of human nature.
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If I really have nothing to do, I just watch my cats, take some photos, and go back to my personal blog.
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It’s like the mountains, the ocean and the rivers. It has its own geological forms. Societies cannot be flat. But during change, human rights, human dignity and free speech have to be protected. Otherwise, we’ll be going backward.
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The freedom of speech is an important yardstick for a society’s level of civilization.
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[Cultural departments] don’t care about culture. Maybe they’re the furthest from the people who understand culture.
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What is important is that we actively express our thoughts and wishes, in every realm that we can access.
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Liberty is about the right to question everything.
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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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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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The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.
AI WEIWEI