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I 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.

Ai Weiwei

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Ai Weiwei
Age: 67
Born: 1957
Born: May 18
Architect
Consultant
Contemporary Artist
Designer
Film Director
Human Rights Activist
Painter
Photographer
Sculptor
Social Activist
Peking
Wei-wei Ai
Weiwei Ai
Ai Wei Wei
Life
Asking
People
Citizens
Healthy
Forever
Call
Chance
Accountability
Happy
Questioning
Today
Obsessed

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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Any design, any city, any kind of craziness or tragedy, it all comes from a long time of preparation.
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I believe [the architecture firm] Herzog and de Meuron and our collaboration made the product the best it could be.
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I don't like China. Even today, I still feel I have no emotional relations with this place.
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Any politician who respects China's government should tell it openly what is in his heart. It is disrespectful to keep quiet about such issues - both vis-a-vis the government and the people concerned.
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Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.
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The fantasy we had with pearls was always so luxurious and unique with a kind of rareness.
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A lot of the time [in the U.S.], I was thinking about how spending time is always questionable or is always the biggest obstacle in my life.
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I think Allen [Ginsberg] was a person who's like a child.
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China hasn't only existed for one day. Now, the whole nation has become richer and it's become a problem. The problem is universal. The factor is big. Everybody has to rethink the balance of the world and the whole landscape.
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The [China] government has improved in the last years. Of course, the structure is still the same there's still a one-party system and strong censorship.
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Freedom of speech implies the world isn’t defined. It is meaningful when people are allowed to see the world their way.
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I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
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Hopefully, other successes aren't like me. It carries much more meaning to other people my success story is irrelevant. It doesn't make any sense.
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I don't think China should care if this crazy old guy should have a show here or not. You have so many museums in the West, and so many shows, you need somebody to show the work, otherwise it's empty.
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For 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.
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Mass production is nothing new. Weren't cathedrals built through mass production? The pyramids?... Paintings can be painted with the left hand, the right hand, someone else's hand, or many people's hands. The scale of production is irrelevant to its content.
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Today, the general masses in this society are in this political-social condition that really encourages people to become rich and become a star and be unique.
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China's culture and history are closely related to my living environment. This country is my birthplace. It is also where I grew up. Its culture and history shape my relations with family, friends, society, and daily life.
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I always want to design a frame that’s open to everyone. I don’t see art as a secret code.
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If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it’s a human need.
Ai Weiwei