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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , School Quotes , Media Quotes

China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Rights Quotes , Different 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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Independent Quotes , Ideas 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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Strong Quotes , Home Quotes

No outdoor sports can be more elegant than throwing stones at autocracy; no melees can be more exciting than those in cyberspace.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Sports Quotes , Cyberspace Quotes

I can still wake up the next day and feel that there's something that needs to be done, which always amuses me.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Next Day Quotes , Needs Quotes

Selling high or low doesn't mean anything. It has to do purely with the market.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Mean Quotes , Selling Quotes

At the moment about 350,000 students return to China from abroad each year - 350,000 young and educated people. I know about them because they know me and often ask me in the street if they can take a selfie with me. These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Government Quotes , Years Quotes

Maybe being powerful means to be fragile.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Powerful Quotes , Recovery Quotes

I spent a lot of time standing on street corners [of New York City] talking to local residents. I spent time in bookstores and galleries. But most of the time, I really did not have much to do.

5 years ago

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

I never really read Allen Ginsberg poetry, even though I have a book he gave me.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Book Quotes

A nation like China has become one of the biggest production fields for exporting cheap labor, which also re-questions our history and past, re-questions human desire, and the human illusions of the past.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Past Quotes , Desire Quotes

To 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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Country Quotes , Korea Quotes

In China, we don't have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn't even have a gallery.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Years Quotes

There is no media freedom in China. As a result, the society is corrupt and lacks productivity. It is unable to adjust itself for progress. This will lead to the country's eventual downfall.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Country Quotes , Media Quotes

The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Spiritual Quotes , Reality Quotes

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

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Tragedy Quotes , Fairytale Quotes

No state or society can claim to have established human rights once and for all.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Rights Quotes , States Quotes

The United States is a melting pot. Like John F. Kennedy said, it's a nation of immigrants. But Donald Trump wants to build a fence that clearly makes the statement: "You and I are divided. We're different, and you're dangerous." That kind of thinking stops human, civilized evolution. It's dangerous to create that kind of tension.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Different Quotes

China didn't want to lose the cutting edge of technology. So the idea of having a Sina Weibo was an attempt to compete with Twitter. However, it has no soul - which is freedom of expression. Nevertheless, I think the government regrets having Sina Weibo, but they cannot shut it down. That would definitely be suicidal.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Regret Quotes , Suicidal Quotes