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 WEIWEIYou know about the fantasies related to the classics, but there is no real discussion about today’s life and no discussion of the real conditions – which is really sickening.
More Ai Weiwei Quotes
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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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I don’t personally feel any association with a kind of culture related to state, or culture related to power, which I think is always disgusting.
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After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.
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I am very much interested in the so-called useless object. I mean, it takes perfect craftsmanship, beautiful material carefully measured and crafted, but at the same time it’s really useless.
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The Internet changes the structure of society all the time — this massiveness made of individuals.
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The only way to avoid misunderstanding, war and bloodshed is to defend freedom of expression and to communicate with sincerity, concern and good intentions.
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I’m totally independent. I don’t bear any responsibility to any system.
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The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.
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Now I’ve come to such a mixed culture: America, Europe, South America, Africa. And the politics are changing everywhere all the time and becoming even more unpredictable.
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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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They very often just try to cope with their own election, their own popularity, solving the problem or selling the ideas to meet their own voters. By doing that, it creates a great imbalance in terms of making deals or treaty or all those things.
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People who can’t do that don’t get a sense of responsibility. And if you lack a sense of responsibility, you push the blame onto the system.
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Being an artist is more of a mindset, a way of seeing things; it is no longer so much about producing something.
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Mass production is nothing new. Weren’t cathedrals built through mass production? The pyramids?
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I spend a lot of time talking to journalists.
AI WEIWEI