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I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.

Ai Weiwei

And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society – the kind of mistreatment society gave him.
AI WEIWEI

Condition Gave Kind Mistreatment Society
This is a very general understanding of art in China, that being an artist can make you money and turn you into a star.
AI WEIWEI

Art Artist Country General Money Star Understanding
We have to give our opinion, we have to say something, or we are a part of it. As an artist I am forced to say something.
AI WEIWEI

Artist Forced Giving Opinion Say Something
We’re different, and you’re dangerous.” That kind of thinking stops human, civilized evolution. It’s dangerous to create that kind of tension.
AI WEIWEI

Civilized Create Dangerous Different Human Stop Tension Thinking
It [success] is really by mistake.
AI WEIWEI

Mistake Reality Success
Just look at the statistics: Each university has tens of thousands of applications for students who want to be in art school, but they can only accept a few hundred.
AI WEIWEI

Application Art Look School Statistic Student Ten Thousand
Selling high or low doesn’t mean anything. It has to do purely with the market.
AI WEIWEI

Anything High Market Mean Purely Selling
The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.
AI WEIWEI

Developed Established Government Ignored Internet Longer Pressure Sphere
The rest of the world understands little about China’s changes and the possibilities and crises that come with them.
AI WEIWEI

Country Crises Little Possibility Rest Understand World
I think everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it’s all we need.
AI WEIWEI

Abstract Art Everybody Freedom Need Thinking
Nothing is clear-cut. Perhaps I’ll find my way – or get totally lost.
AI WEIWEI

Clear Lost Nothing Perhaps Totally Way
If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?
AI WEIWEI

Art Nothing Pain People Sorrow
In my case, I was stuck there for quite a while. New York is large enough to be a very abstract city, so nobody cares.
AI WEIWEI

Abstract Care City Country Enough Large Nobody Quite Stuck
The intention to separate art from politics is itself a very political intention.
AI WEIWEI

Intension Intention Political Politics Separate
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.
AI WEIWEI

Built Content Good Manage Research System Taxpayer Thousand
I spent a lot of time standing on street corners [of New York City] talking to local residents. I spent time in bookstores and galleries. But most of the time, I really did not have much to do.
AI WEIWEI

Cities Country Talking Local Resident Spent Time

I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.

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I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.

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Popular Authors

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