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Measuring national prestige by gold medals is like using Viagra to judge the potency of a man.

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
Using
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Viagra
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After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.
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Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward.
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Maybe being powerful means to be fragile.
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I want people to see their own power.
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I'm always interested in people who are not orientated in art circles to become part of it.
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If Shakespeare were alive today, he might be writing on Twitter.
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Whenever there is injustice, there is tension. But in China it is very hard to release your anger unless you burn yourself or you jump from a bridge. In a society where there is no freedom of the press, it is difficult for victims to be noticed.
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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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Art should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don't think art is elite or mysterious.
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New York was not a romantic city at [80th]. Nobody knows who you are and you don't have to care about anybody else. It's a very cold city, I should say.
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The media is the message. It carries the full intention and the meaning. Once you change it...it's very disturbing.
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Selling high or low doesn't mean anything. It has to do purely with the market.
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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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No state or society can claim to have established human rights once and for all.
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China is an old nation with a colourful history. Its booming economy has triggered an appetite and a curiosity around the world for its art and culture, one that continues to grow. I can, however, tell people that it is a show with no actor.
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Liberty is about the right to question everything.
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A small act is worth a million thoughts.
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We see the tendency in the world to criticise democracy and sometimes even to say that authoritarian countries like China are more efficient. That is very short-sighted. China looks efficient only because it can sacrifice most people's rights. This is not something the west should be happy about.
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To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.
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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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