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If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.

Ai Weiwei

It’s like the mountains, the ocean and the rivers. It has its own geological forms. Societies cannot be flat. But during change, human rights, human dignity and free speech have to be protected. Otherwise, we’ll be going backward.
AI WEIWEI

Backward Form Geographical Human Mountain Ocean Protected Right Speech
The leadership knows that you cannot solve the issues of China’s future with the means of the past. The demographic consequences of the one-child policy, the build-up of the welfare state.
AI WEIWEI

Children Country Future Issue Job Know Leadership Mean Solve
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
Many people are going to use [Beijing National Stadium], which makes it more meaningful. If we don’t design it, somebody else has to design it.
AI WEIWEI

Design Make Meaningful People Use
It became like a symbolic thing, to be “an artist.” After Duchamp, I realized that being an artist is more about a lifestyle and attitude than producing some product.
AI WEIWEI

Artist Attitude Lifestyle More Producing Realized Symbolic Thing
These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.
AI WEIWEI

Control Creative Folk Government Head Ironic Ultimately
Selling high or low doesn’t mean anything. It has to do purely with the market.
AI WEIWEI

Anything High Market Mean Purely Selling
If I look at it, I would laugh. I don’t know how I became successful.
AI WEIWEI

Laughing Look Successful
I don’t think there is a distinct change, because in the West I’m not a person who can serve his purpose.
AI WEIWEI

Change Distinct Person Purpose Thinking West
It also makes humanity much more safe. If we see pureness somewhere as something to be desired, the trouble starts.
AI WEIWEI

Desire Humanity Make Pureness Safe Something Trouble
It’s just a way you have to set up some kind of activities to follow your instincts or your curiosities.
AI WEIWEI

Activity Curiosity Follow Instinct Kind Set Some Way
I think U.S. and China is a big opportunity, to be seen as partner or some kind of strategic partner maybe. But those kind of powers have a way of getting too big, then we’ll have competition.
AI WEIWEI

Country Opportunity Partner Strategic Strong Winning
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

Clear Country Difference Happening Nation Rest Understand Understanding World
I think Donald Trump should cool down a little bit. To pay more attention to the history. To really understand what U.S.’s value is about. I think, as a president, those things you always have to ask.
AI WEIWEI

Attention Bit History Little President Really Thinking Understand
I think China is laughing about the results of the presidential elections. China, Russia, they all laugh about it.
AI WEIWEI

Country Election Laughing Man Presidential Thinking
To work in architecture you are so much involved with society, with politics, with bureaucrats. It’s a very complicated process to do large projects.
AI WEIWEI

Architecture Ass Bad Badass Bureaucrats Complicated Criticism Involved Society

If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.

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If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.

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