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You don’t have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.

Ai Weiwei

You have so many museums in the West, and so many shows, you need somebody to show the work, otherwise it’s empty.
AI WEIWEI

Empty Many Museum Need Otherwise Show Somebody West Work
The museums used to be exhibition halls for government propaganda, and now every city wants to build a museum.
AI WEIWEI

Country Future Government Museums Past Present Professional Year
I’m totally independent. I don’t bear any responsibility to any system.
AI WEIWEI

Bear Independent Responsibility System Totally
If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?
AI WEIWEI

Art Nothing Pain People Sorrow
For me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself.
AI WEIWEI

Breathe Express Heart Long Myself Pumping
After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.
AI WEIWEI

China Long Periods
Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.
AI WEIWEI

Barbie Freedom Modern Speech World
The relationship between the Chinese government and me is like a Cold War.
AI WEIWEI

Chinese Cold Government Relationship War
Even if I have hundreds of things to do, the disconnected feeling is still there because it is very hard to find a real purpose of life.
AI WEIWEI

Disconnected Do Feeling Find Hard Hundred Purpose Real Still Thing Very
We should also leave behind discrimination, because it is narrow-minded and ignorant, denies contact and warmth; and corrodes mankind’s belief that we can better ourselves.
AI WEIWEI

Behind Contact Discrimination Expression Ignorant Leave Marrow Minded War
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.
AI WEIWEI

Country Cutting Educational Leadership Military Political Power Structure
It’s just a way you have to set up some kind of activities to follow your instincts or your curiosities.
AI WEIWEI

Activity Curiosity Follow Instinct Kind Set Some Way
I have to find a place for my own. I have to search for my own happiness.
AI WEIWEI

Find Happiness Own Place
There isn’t a single Chinese university that can invite me to give a talk. Even though I know there are many students who would like to hear what I have to say.
AI WEIWEI

Country Hear Invite Single Student Talk University
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
Even if there have been setbacks during these past years, China is changing. China’s society is opening.
AI WEIWEI

Changing Country Opening Past Society Year

You don’t have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.

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You don’t have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.

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