To call yourself a Chinese artist or woman artist or African artist reflects a certain kind of condition. To me, that is not necessary.
AI WEIWEIArt should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don’t think art is elite or mysterious.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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I am everywhere and I am nowhere. That’s the beauty of the Internet Age.
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The Internet changes the structure of society all the time — this massiveness made of individuals.
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Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.
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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.
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Society becomes very destructive.
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These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.
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After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.
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Even if there have been setbacks during these past years, China is changing. China’s society is opening.
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You start to see the society, how it functions, how it works. Then you have a lot of criticism about how it works.
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Growing up, my family was an enemy of the state. I have experienced more disappointment than joy, much more sad stories or desperate conditions.
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I don’t care if this is a great cultural event or a national symbol. It has nothing to do with me. It deals with the city.
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I came back [to Beijing ] because that’s the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.
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If people are being abused or even killed during an arrest, this is highly disturbing.
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Nationality and borders are barriers to our intelligence, to our imagination and to all kinds of possibilities.
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Technology is a liberation. I think the information age probably is the best thing to happen to the human race in human evolution.
AI WEIWEI