For years, I refused to go to any openings, not even my own.
AI WEIWEIAs a human being, member of society, you must clearly state your mind. It’s a responsibility. It is the way you identify yourself otherwise you don’t know who you are and why you are here.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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Maybe [success] is because I’m in China and I’m more open. Maybe it’s my independent behavior, or because I participated in certain projects. I have no idea.
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Everything is selected by the central government without good judgment or an understanding of culture to make it really safe. They will become nobody to maintain their power and be raised to the next higher level.
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The purpose of art is the fight for freedom.
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There are no outdoor sports as graceful as throwing stones at a dictatorship.
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It is to wonder about the world, to understand the nature of people and, most importantly, to be shared with another, old or young, known or unknown.
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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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Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I’m not nostalgic about the old city. I don’t enjoy it that much.
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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.
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You’re still being looked at as somebody who – it’s a very complicated issue.
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If people are being abused or even killed during an arrest, this is highly disturbing.
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Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.
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Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?
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I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
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Nothing is clear-cut. Perhaps I’ll find my way – or get totally lost.
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In a society like this there is no negotiation, no discussion, except to tell you that power can crush you any time they want — not only you, your whole family and all people like you.
AI WEIWEI