Ai Weiwei Quotes, School Quotes, Media Quotes

The idea to use backpacks came from my visit to Sichuan after the earthquake in May 2008. During the earthquake many schools collapsed. Thousands of young students lost their lives, and you could see bags and study material everywhere. Then you realize individual life, media, and the lives of the students are serving very different purposes. The lives of the students disappeared within the state propaganda, and very soon everybody will forget everything.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , School Quotes , Media Quotes

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.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Attitude Quotes , Moving Quotes

Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed?

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Lying Quotes , Choices Quotes

Now many enterprises are made by individuals, so the attitude has started to change.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Attitude Quotes , Individual Quotes

The demand for individual freedom leads us to different realms, and it enables us to participate in social events.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Different Quotes , Demand Quotes

There are no outdoor sports as graceful as throwing stones at a dictatorship.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Sports Quotes , Throwing Stones Quotes

[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Museums Quotes , World Quotes

Even though everybody who looked at me would call me a Chinese artist, that's the 1980s. New York in the '80s was not so interesting. I think it's quite narrow-minded. There wasn't much encouragement or opportunities for any artist - not just Chinese artists.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Encouragement Quotes , New York Quotes

I never saw [Allen Ginsberg] as some kind of crazy figure.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Crazy Quotes , Saws Quotes

New York was not a romantic city at [80th]. Nobody knows who you are and you don't have to care about anybody else. It's a very cold city, I should say.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , New York Quotes , Cities Quotes

We have to give our opinion, we have to say something, or we are a part of it. As an artist I am forced to say something.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Artist Quotes , Giving Quotes

Freedom of expression is a very essential condition for me to make any art. Also, it is an essential value for my life. I have to protect this right and also to fight for the possibility.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Fighting Quotes

I have people working together, doing different things: architecture, art installation, photography, publishing, and curatorial works and design.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Photography Quotes , Art Quotes

I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets of judgment.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Reality Quotes

Measuring national prestige by gold medals is like using Viagra to judge the potency of a man.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Men Quotes , Judging Quotes

It [success] is really by mistake.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes

This so-called fame or being better off doesn't really attract me at all.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Fame Quotes

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.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Independent Quotes , Ideas Quotes

You see so many people doing quite nice and respectful work, but nobody like Warhol. Warhol is outstanding. I think he has a value that is far from fully understood. He's very special for younger generations.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Nice Quotes , Thinking Quotes

I think to deal with the situation like human crisis, 65 million people being displaced, lost their home, and with such human tragedy, has to make every level of society to be conscious and to be alert about the situation. So, the politicians and the people who make decisions very often is the one we think can make some difference. But of course they will not make a difference if the citizens or the individuals not push it or not to speak out, to possess a very strong voice about, this is not acceptable.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Strong Quotes , Home Quotes