I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.
AI WEIWEIThe 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.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.
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Today, the general masses in this society are in this political-social condition that really encourages people to become rich and become a star and be unique.
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Somehow, we [ Tan Dun and director Chen Kaige] were all privileged at the time; we could be outside of China. But at the moment, we had no sense of what the future was going to be like.
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Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don’t feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy.
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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.
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Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.
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We move so fast that memory is something we can only grasp
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I never really read Allen Ginsberg poetry, even though I have a book he gave me.
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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.
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Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.
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If it’s possible, I will have some noodles in the morning and start talking to people, start to think about a few things in my head.
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The United States is a melting pot. Like John F. Kennedy said, it’s a nation of immigrants. But Donald Trump wants to build a fence that clearly makes the statement: “You and I are divided.
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I have to find a place for my own. I have to search for my own happiness.
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For artists and intellectuals today, what is most needed is to be clear about social responsibility, because that is what most people automatically give up. Just to protect yourself as an individual is very political.
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A clear understanding of such differences will help the rest of the world understand China and all that is happening to the nation.
AI WEIWEI