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[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I’ve been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.

Ai Weiwei

If civil society has nobody who protects the law, then what kind of society is that?
AI WEIWEI

Kind Law Nobody Protect Society
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 have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.
AI WEIWEI

Expression Free Respect Silence
We move so fast that memory is something we can only grasp
AI WEIWEI

Grasp Memories Move Moving Something
Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I’m not nostalgic about the old city. I don’t enjoy it that much.
AI WEIWEI

Cities Crazy Destroy Enjoy Much Nostalgic
Even though everybody who looked at me would call me a Chinese artist, that’s the 1980s. New York in the ’80s was not so interesting.
AI WEIWEI

Artist Encouragement New York
I don’t think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism.
AI WEIWEI

Direct Father Independent Influence Thinking
Civilization has evolved toward more acceptance, understanding and tolerance of global thinking. If we accept differences, our creativity booms. It makes life much more colorful.
AI WEIWEI

Acceptance Civilization Creativity Evolved Global Thinking Tolerance Understanding
I also doubt a man can give really clear reasons for anything.
AI WEIWEI

Anything Clear Doubt Giving Man Really Reason
The society was so different [in China] – it was a feudalistic society. It didn’t come to a point of industrial revolution until twenty years ago.
AI WEIWEI

Come Country Different Feudalistic Industrial Point Revolution Society Twenties Year
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
I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
AI WEIWEI

Encourage Expressed Idea People Worldview
The misconception of totalitarianism is that freedom can be imprisoned. This is not the case. When you constrain freedom, freedom will take flight and land on a windowsill.
AI WEIWEI

Case Constrain Flight Freedom Imprisoned Land Misconception
I deal with students every day – from China, Germany, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan. And I’ve noticed that the Chinese students are the least trained in having a sense of aesthetics.
AI WEIWEI

Beautiful Country Deal Noticed People Responsibility Student United State
Freedom of expression is a very essential condition for me to make any art. Also, it is an essential value for my life. I have to protect this right and also to fight for the possibility.
AI WEIWEI

Art Condition Essential Expression Fighting Freedom Make Value
The intention to separate art from politics is itself a very political intention.
AI WEIWEI

Intension Intention Political Politics Separate

[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I’ve been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.

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[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I’ve been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.

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