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I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power.

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
Thinking
Expression
Responsibility
Freedom
Use
Artist
Power
Way
Extend
Think
Protect

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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I think my stance and my way of life is my most important art.
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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.
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I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.
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Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.
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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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This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the quality of their lives.
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This 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.
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You're still being looked at as somebody who - it's a very complicated issue.
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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.
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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.
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To express yourself needs a reason, but expressing yourself is the reason.
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Because Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.
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China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.
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I suddenly realized I was getting ten opening notes a day on my mobile phone, more than when I was in New York. But this is China, where nothing is surprising.
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People have a tendency to become elite rather than to care about the general conditions of the society, which makes me sick. It's an unbearable condition.
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If artists cannot speak up for human dignity or rights, then who else will do it?
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I 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.
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I'm most embarrassed at my art shows, even though I don't show it.
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No matter what happens, nothing can prevent the historical process by which society demands freedom and democracy.
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No outdoor sports can be more elegant than throwing stones at autocracy no melees can be more exciting than those in cyberspace.
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