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I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.

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
Part
Really
Never
Life
Expression
Silence
Respect
Free

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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In my life, I often make so-called major decisions by very quick, immediate responses.
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Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.
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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.
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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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It became like a symbolic thing, to be “an artist.” After Duchamp, I realized that being an artist is more about a lifestyle and attitude than producing some product.
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So-called Chinese art and culture is under control of the Party. They exist to serve the official agenda. I call it fake art and culture.
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I don't personally feel any association with a kind of culture related to state, or culture related to power, which I think is always disgusting.
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The freedom of speech is an important yardstick for a society's level of civilization.
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New York is a city where you're so alone, you're an individual, you can disappear. You can make something happen. But it's very different to make something happen in the art world.
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A small act is worth a million thoughts.
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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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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.
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Being an artist is more of a mindset, a way of seeing things it is no longer so much about producing something.
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China spends a lot of resources and effort on gaining soft power over culture. The hope is that it can be the last lifeline for the Party's survival. Obviously, the idea will fail.
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The practice of photography is no longer a means for recording reality. Instead, it has become reality itself
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I don't believe in the so-called Olympic spirit. I speak from personal experience. When China hosted the Games, it failed to include the people. The event was constructed without regard for their joy.
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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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I also have to speak out for people around me who are afraid, who think it is not worth it or who have totally given up hope. So I want to set an example: you can do it and this is OK, to speak out.
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[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.
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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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