If artists cannot speak up for human dignity or rights, then who else will do it?
AI WEIWEIThe relationship between the Chinese government and me is like a Cold War.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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I want people to see their own power.
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A small act is worth a million thoughts.
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[Cultural departments] don’t care about culture. Maybe they’re the furthest from the people who understand culture.
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A society is healthy only when it allows its members to discuss their thoughts openly. This is also the only way that a society can gather consensus, let everyone express his or her wish, and foster creativity.
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It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that.
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I think it’s quite narrow-minded. There wasn’t much encouragement or opportunities for any artist – not just Chinese artists.
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That’s why I always question this sense. The feeling of home really requires a lot of trust. It requires you to identify with it, which I always find myself very contradictory to.
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Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.
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I don’t think there is a distinct change, because in the West I’m not a person who can serve his purpose.
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I think my stance and my way of life is my most important art.
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Life is much more interesting when you make a little bit of effort.
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Warhol influenced me because of his writing. If I had never read his writings and interviews, I would never have understood his work.
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And who is going to win the competition if U.S. cannot hold a strong ideology? And even the U.S. would’ve lost the ground to win.
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You’re still being looked at as somebody who – it’s a very complicated issue.
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The museums used to be exhibition halls for government propaganda, and now every city wants to build a museum.
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