We grew up in a very material-lacking socialist society, but today China is a capitalist society. It’s very materialistic. It’s full of desire and luxury goods.
AI WEIWEIIf there is no free speech, every single life has lived in vain
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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Democracy, material wealth, and universal education are the soil upon which modernism exists.
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Once you’ve tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country.
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I’m just bringing them to Kassel to see the art show, and pay their room and board.
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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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Each year, more people want to become artists.
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It’s very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.
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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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I want people to see their own power.
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To call yourself a Chinese artist or woman artist or African artist reflects a certain kind of condition. To me, that is not necessary.
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I also have to speak out for people around me who are afraid, who think it is not worth it or who have totally given up hope. So I want to set an example: you can do it and this is OK, to speak out.
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[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.
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This is a very general understanding of art in China, that being an artist can make you money and turn you into a star.
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I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.
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If you don’t act, the danger becomes stronger.
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I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power.
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