25 Ai Weiwei Quotes for You to Enjoy

Ai Weiwei

Chinese Artist

Born: May 18, 1957

Art Government People Rights World You

Related authors: Andy Warhol Claude Monet Edvard Munch Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Pablo Picasso Salvador Dali Vincent Van Gogh

If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for? Ai Weiwei

Art People Nothing Pain Sorrow

For me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself. Ai Weiwei

Myself Me Heart Long Pumping OK Breathe Express

This week, the world gathers in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic games. This is the extraordinary moment China has been dreaming of for 100 years. People have been longing for this moment, because it symbolises a turning point in China's relationship with the outside world. Ai Weiwei

Relationship People World Longing Extraordinary Has-Been Dreaming Point Week Outside Outside World Because Been Years Beijing China Turning Turning Point Games Moment Olympic Olympic Games

China and the U.S. are two societies with very different attitudes towards opinion and criticism. In China, I am constantly under surveillance. Even my slightest, most innocuous move can - and often is - censored by Chinese authorities. Ai Weiwei

The Chinese art world does not exist. In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or independent is a pretence. It is impossible for a totalitarian society to create anything with passion and imagination. Ai Weiwei

Art Creative Rights World Passion Impossible Human Rights Society Imagination Independent Pretence Totalitarian Individual Freedoms Calls Does Exist Itself Art World Human Anything Chinese Create Violates

Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their own laws. 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

Time Family You People Obey Police Power Whatever Own Society Negotiation Tell All People Arbitrary Detention Laws Only Except Clearly Crush Days Like Discussion Any Want After Realise China Your Whole

So maybe there are three parts in my life - earlier background living in exile in Xinjiang in a very political circumstance, then later the United States from 24 to 36 years old. I was quite equipped with liberal thinking. Then the Internet. If there is no Internet, of course, I cannot really exercise my opinion or my ideas. Ai Weiwei

Life Political Old Internet Three My Life Living Thinking Liberal Later Background States Circumstance Ideas Course Parts Exercise Opinion Equipped Exile Years Very Quite Maybe Cannot Then Really United United States Earlier

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. You start to see the society, how it functions, how it works. Then you have a lot of criticism about how it works. Ai Weiwei

Twitter was like a poem. It was rich, real and spontaneous. It really fit my style. In a year and a half, I tweeted 60,000 tweets, over 100,000 words. I spent a minimum eight hours a day on it, sometimes 24 hours. Ai Weiwei

China is an old nation with a colourful history. Its booming economy has triggered an appetite and a curiosity around the world for its art and culture, one that continues to grow. I can, however, tell people that it is a show with no actor. Ai Weiwei

Art History Culture People World Old Nation Booming Tell Economy Around However Curiosity China Show Grow Appetite Actor

I'm most embarrassed at my art shows, even though I don't show it. Ai Weiwei

Art Though Embarrassed Most Show Even Shows

The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo show just how much effort China is willing to spend to enter the global stage. But while China desires to understand the world, it fails to accept its universal values. Ai Weiwei

World Values Stage Spend Enter Willing Shanghai Fails Global Accept Understand How How Much Effort Just Beijing While China Much Show Universal Desires Olympics

Recently I danced in a video spoof of the song 'Gangnam Style,' and it was quickly banned across multiple Chinese online video platforms. But the story still traveled all over the world, carried in hundreds of international media reports. Ai Weiwei

Song World Style Danced Hundreds Carried Online Over Spoof Still Quickly Reports Banned Story Chinese Video Across International Multiple Platforms Traveled Media Recently

I don't think it's worth discussing new directions in the context of Chinese art - there were no old directions, either. Chinese art has never had any clear orientation. Ai Weiwei

Art Worth Old Think Directions Never Had Clear New Context Were Discussing Any Either Chinese Orientation

A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy. Ai Weiwei

Music Nation Tragedy

I don't believe in the so-called Olympic spirit. I speak from personal experience. When China hosted the Games, it failed to include the people. The event was constructed without regard for their joy. Ai Weiwei

Experience People Joy Speak Believe Spirit Constructed Failed Without Personal Personal Experience So-Called Regard China Games Include Event Olympic

I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our proposal won the competition. From beginning to end, I stayed with the project. I am committed to fostering relationships between a city and its architecture. Ai Weiwei

Architecture Competition National Beginning Design Relationships Our Collaborate Project City See Stayed Architectural Proposal Between Invitation Accepted Am End Won Committed Stadium Beijing Fostering

People are always wondering if I am an artist or political activist or politician. Maybe I'll just clearly tell you: Whatever I do is not art. Let's say it is just objects or materials, movies or writing, but not art, OK? Ai Weiwei

I'm always followed by two or three cars and have police around. Even walking in the park, you see them taking photos behind the bushes and trying to videotape everything. Ai Weiwei

We see the tendency in the world to criticise democracy and sometimes even to say that authoritarian countries like China are more efficient. That is very short-sighted. China looks efficient only because it can sacrifice most people's rights. This is not something the west should be happy about. Ai Weiwei

Democracy Be Happy Rights Happy People World Sometimes Sacrifice Say Criticise See About Something More Only Tendency Countries Like Most Looks Because West Very Efficient Authoritarian Short-Sighted China Should Even

Since the global economic crisis began, the change in global attitudes is clear to see - and I think it is pitiful. Barack Obama came to China and he is probably the only president of the United States never to mention the words 'human rights' in public. Ai Weiwei

Economic Crisis Change Rights Words Human Rights Think President States Crisis Obama See Only Economic Mention Never He Clear Since Attitudes Global Came Began Human Pitiful China Barack Barack Obama Public United United States

The seed is a household object but at the same time it is a revolutionary symbol. Ai Weiwei

Time Seed Object Household Revolutionary Same Same Time Symbol

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