If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?
AI WEIWEII don’t want the next generation to fight the same fight as I did.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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Maybe [success] is because I’m in China and I’m more open. Maybe it’s my independent behavior, or because I participated in certain projects. I have no idea.
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A nation like China has become one of the biggest production fields for exporting cheap labor, which also re-questions our history and past, re-questions human desire, and the human illusions of the past.
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The [China] government has improved in the last years. Of course, the structure is still the same; there’s still a one-party system and strong censorship.
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[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.
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There are no outdoor sports as graceful as throwing stones at a dictatorship.
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Now I’ve come to such a mixed culture: America, Europe, South America, Africa. And the politics are changing everywhere all the time and becoming even more unpredictable.
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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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Maybe being powerful means to be fragile.
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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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This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the quality of their lives.
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I always want to design a frame that’s open to everyone. I don’t see art as a secret code.
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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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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about exhibiting in museums or about hanging it on the wall. Art should live in the heart of the people.
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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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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.
AI WEIWEI