Ai Weiwei Quotes, Long Quotes, China Quotes

After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Long Quotes , China Quotes

Life is much more interesting when you make a little bit of effort.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Interesting Quotes , Effort Quotes

It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that. There are crises and emergencies all the time, we might not even be aware of some. But I am afraid we'll have to wait and observe precisely what the government is up to.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Jobs Quotes , Government Quotes

Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the final voice, but it requires each individual to act. If we don't act, then the result is very clear. So for too long Americans take liberty as granted. We think we are in the safe hand, the democracy and the liberty, which is not true. And it can be even getting much worse than today.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Long Quotes

I don't think China has professional museums - not in the past, present, or near future.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Past Quotes , Thinking Quotes

I believe [the architecture firm] Herzog and de Meuron and our collaboration made the product the best it could be.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Believe Quotes , Collaboration Quotes

Everyone of us is a potential convict.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes

Art is always about overcoming obstacles between the inner condition and the skill for expression.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Expression Quotes

Chinese 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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Real Quotes , Thinking Quotes

You need a purpose to express yourself, but that expression is its own purpose.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Expression Quotes , Needs Quotes

To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Media Quotes , Government Quotes

I was in the most restricted prison in China, the most tough. The design of the prison is modeled for internal crimes of the Communist party, so it's like a mafia family's law. It's independent to the law this nation openly applies. It's the place they take you before they give you over to the judicial system. You stay there for a year or two and they make you really suffer to confess everything.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Party Quotes , Independent Quotes

To give a price to an artwork, no matter how high or low, is always absurd. It's not something that can be measured by money or by certain numbers.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Numbers Quotes , Giving Quotes

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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Crush Quotes , People 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

China 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.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Law Quotes , Justice Quotes

I am everywhere and I am nowhere. That's the beauty of the Internet Age.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Age Quotes

When human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That's dangerous for human development.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Government Quotes

The fantasy we had with pearls was always so luxurious and unique with a kind of rareness.

5 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Unique Quotes , Pearls 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