Ai Weiwei's Quotes
Born: 1957-05-18
Profession: Artist
Nation: Chinese
Biography of Ai Weiwei
I think Chinese leadership is trying to tell the world they have another set of logic or reasoning or values which are different from yours. Of course, I don't think they believe that. It's just an argument that's made when you can't confront the truth and facts. They really want to maintain power.
Tags: Leadership, Power, TruthI'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.
Tags: Police, Three, TryingIf we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.
Tags: Government, Saying, SocietyNow the British are coming. I think Cameron should ask the Chinese government not to make people 'disappear' or to jail them merely because they have different opinions.
Tags: Ask, Government, OpinionsPeople 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?
Tags: Art, Movies, PoliticalPolice 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.
Tags: Family, Power, TimeRecently 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.
Tags: Song, Story, StyleSince 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.
Tags: Change, Crisis, HumanSo 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.
Tags: Life, Political, ThinkingThe 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium, which I helped to conceive, is designed to embody the Olympic spirit of 'fair competition.' It tells people that freedom is possible but needs fairness, courage and strength.
Tags: Courage, Freedom, StrengthThe 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.
Tags: Accept, Show, UnderstandThe 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.
Tags: Art, Human, SocietyThe Olympic Games are highly commercialised. They purport to follow the traditions of an ancient athletics competition, but today it is the commercial aspect that is most apparent. I have seen how, through sport, cities and corporations compete against each other for financial gain.
Tags: Against, Financial, TodayThis nation is notorious for its ability to make or fake anything cheaply. 'Made-in-China' goods now fill homes around the world. But our giant country has a small problem. We can't manufacture the happiness of our people.
Tags: Country, Fake, HappinessThis 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.
Tags: Moment, Point, WeekTo protect the right of expression is the central part of an artist's activity... In China many essential rights are lacking, and I wanted to remind people of this.
Tags: Artist, Rights, WantedTo survive, China had to open up to the West. It could not survive otherwise. This was after many millions have died of hunger in a country that was like North Korea is today. Once we became part of global competition, we had to agree to some rules. It's painful, but we had to. Otherwise there was no way to survive.
Tags: After, Country, TodayTwitter 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.
Tags: Real, Rich, WordsWe 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.
Tags: Democracy, Happy, SacrificeWhen you have strict censorship of the internet, young students cannot receive a full education. Their view of the world is imbalanced. There can be no true discussion of the issues.
Tags: Cannot, Education, TrueWidespread state control over art and culture has left no room for freedom of expression in the country. For more than 60 years, anyone with a dissenting opinion has been suppressed. Chinese art is merely a product: it avoids any meaningful engagement. There is no larger context. Its only purpose is to charm viewers with its ambiguity.
Tags: Art, Control, FreedomI call on people to be 'obsessed citizens,' forever questioning and asking for accountability. That's the only chance we have today of a healthy and happy life.
Tags: Happy, Life, TodayCensorship is saying: 'I'm the one who says the last sentence. Whatever you say, the conclusion is mine.' But the internet is like a tree that is growing. The people will always have the last word - even if someone has a very weak, quiet voice. Such power will collapse because of a whisper.
Tags: Power, Saying, SomeoneTo 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.
Tags: Architecture, Politics, WorkFor me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself.
Tags: Breathe, Express, HeartVisit partners pages
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If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?
Tags: Art, Pain, SorrowAs a person, I was born to give out my opinions. By giving out my opinions, I realize who I am. As long as I can communicate, I'm not so lonely. If I cannot travel, or do art, or have company, if they take away all my belongings, it doesn't matter at all.
Tags: Art, Lonely, TravelHistorically, China is not a nation of sportsmen. We traditionally put more emphasis on being close to nature than pushing endlessly to excel. A philosophy that values tranquil contemplation of the landscape cannot easily be adapted to the Olympic slogan of 'higher, stronger, faster.'
Tags: Cannot, Nature, PhilosophyThe American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
Tags: Experience, Freedom, HumanBecause Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.
Tags: Britain, Great, OlympicsEveryone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it's not a product; it's an understanding of human nature.
Tags: Design, Human, NatureThe internet is a wild land with its own games, languages and gestures through which we are starting to share common feelings.
Tags: Common, Feelings, GamesThe seed is a household object but at the same time it is a revolutionary symbol.
Tags: Object, Seed, TimeTo the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.
Tags: Become, Dangerous, GovernmentBecause of the economic crisis, China and the United States are bound together. This is a totally new phenomenon, and nobody will fight for ideology anymore. It's all about business.
Tags: Business, Crisis, FightBeijing's Olympics were very grand - they were trying to throw a party for the world, but the hosts didn't enjoy it. The government didn't care about people's feelings because it was trying to create an image.
Tags: Care, Feelings, GovernmentChina 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.
Tags: Attitude, Often, OpinionChina has not established the rule of law and if there is a power above the law there is no social justice. Everybody can be subjected to harm. I'm just a citizen: my life is equal in value to any other. But I'm thankful that when I lost my freedom so many people shared feelings and put such touching effort into helping me.
Tags: Freedom, Life, PowerChina 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.
Tags: Art, History, OldChinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world it is more dangerous. In the west people think it's a right they're born with. Here it's a right given by the government, and one that's not really practised.
Tags: Government, Here, RealFor all the tough talk about China during the presidential debates, Romney and Obama evaded any mention of China's suspect human rights record, corruption, and rule of law. By not tackling these controversial topics, the candidates are protecting a strategic partnership with China at the expense of essential human values and beliefs.
Tags: Corruption, Human, LawI 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.
Tags: Experience, Joy, SpeakI 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.
Tags: Art, Old, WorthI 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.
Tags: Between, Design, EndI really like going to see movies. I know that's super boring but it's true!
Tags: Boring, Movies, TrueI wouldn't say personally that I have problems communicating with men - though I'm not sure what the men would say.
Tags: Men, Problems, SureIn L.A., I like to surf. I went through a phase - I was surfing four days a week. I'm still not good at it; I still spend most of my time falling.
Tags: Days, Good, TimeI feel like I owe Juilliard everything... coming from Kentucky at age 17, having a school like that giving me a chance. And if you can't afford it, you can get a scholarship.
Tags: Age, Giving, SchoolI've done a lot of odd jobs, including waitressing, which most actors have done. I was a busboy - girl - when I was younger and sold things at little fairs when I was younger. I mostly related the role to being a waitress and having to deal with customers. There are good people and some not-so-good people.
Tags: Done, Girl, GoodIn movies, you get to explore parts of yourself that in real life, people shy away from, like looking stupid or embarrassing yourself or getting too angry, anything inappropriate. As an actor, you walk into those moments.
Tags: Life, Movies, StupidIt's through working with a lot of first-time directors that I realized that people learn on their feet. Everybody works on something for a different reason. Everybody has got something new to learn on these sets, and you don't have to know everything, the second you start.
Tags: Learn, Reason, WorkingPeople say that one of the most important things about being an actor is to have thick skin, but I don't think that's it. Because you can't just walk around being tough, you have to be able to be vulnerable to do this. So really, it's about not being defensive.
Tags: Able, Tough, WalkWhen something's wrong, even though you're the one doing it, you shouldn't feel defensive about it. It's hard because you have to protect yourself as a person in your life, but you can't protect yourself as an actor. You have to just take criticism.
Tags: Hard, Life, Yourself