Quote

The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.

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
True
Spineless
Reality
Plight
Cannot
Reflected
Today
Tragic
Straight
Stand
Existence
Spiritual

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.
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Of course, most luxury goods in China are for corrupted officials and their relatives. And that made China become the biggest luxury-goods market. In this kind of dictatorship, in this kind of totalitarian society, it is easy to make deals that you cannot make in a democratic society.
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I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
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My situation gives me certain ideas about beauty or the excitement of life, but that doesn't mean other people can necessarily appreciate it.
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I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.
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Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed?
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I don't think I was very structured in that society and I don't really believe in personal success, which most Americans believe in.
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Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.
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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about exhibiting in museums or about hanging it on the wall.
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The world is sphere, has no East or West.
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Freedom of expression is a very essential condition for me to make any art. Also, it is an essential value for my life. I have to protect this right and also to fight for the possibility.
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Beijing is constructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum, yet it will not feature any of my work.
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China seems unpredictable because it has a distinct culture and social system. It is still a mystery to other parts of the world, even though the veil of China has been lifted many times as a result of globalization.
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In the '80s, you couldn't walk in the neighborhood without looking back to see if anyone was following you. You had your key in your hand before you got to your apartment and you'd rush in so you didn't have to stop.
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Creativity is the power to act.
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I never really read Allen Ginsberg poetry, even though I have a book he gave me.
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Selling high or low doesn't mean anything. It has to do purely with the market.
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I don't think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism. And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society - the kind of mistreatment society gave him.
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The rest of the world understands little about China's changes and the possibilities and crises that come with them.
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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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