The whole attitude of society has become much more open and realistic. They realize that the only way to make a more democratic and free society is to let different opinions come out.
AI WEIWEIIf artists cannot speak up for human dignity or rights, then who else will do it?
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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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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[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I’ve been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.
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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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I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.
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It’s not really an ideology, but a method of control. But China’s problems are not just China’s problems – they’re human problems. Humanity has always worked better when you see it as one.
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The motivation is really to say people can find the game of getting involved interesting and find the problem and really have the passion and the enthusiasm to solve it and move forward, but that’s all I know.
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Paintings can be painted with the left hand, the right hand, someone else’s hand, or many people’s hands. The scale of production is irrelevant to its content.
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We literally lived underground. We dug a hole and lived there for years. My father cleaned public toilets, even though he was a highly respected poet.
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If you don’t act, the danger becomes stronger.
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I think the government regrets having Sina Weibo, but they cannot shut it down. That would definitely be suicidal.
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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.
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In China, we don’t have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn’t even have a gallery.
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There isn’t a single Chinese university that can invite me to give a talk. Even though I know there are many students who would like to hear what I have to say.
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The rest of the world understands little about China’s changes and the possibilities and crises that come with them.
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The media is the message. It carries the full intention and the meaning. Once you change it…it’s very disturbing.
AI WEIWEI