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If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?

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
Pain
Art
Nothing
People
Sorrow

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.
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These are nonviolent people who have lost their freedom simply because they expressed their ideas….In truth, they are heroes of our time.
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The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.
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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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For artists and intellectuals today, what is most needed is to be clear about social responsibility, because that is what most people automatically give up. Just to protect yourself as an individual is very political. You don't have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.
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I always want people to be confused, to be shocked or realize something later.
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Twitter is the people’s tool, the tool of the ordinary people, people who have no other resources.
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I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our proposal won the competition. From beginning to end, I stayed with the project. I am committed to fostering relationships between a city and its architecture.
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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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Because Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.
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Every day I'm learning something new from the practice. It's very rewarding.
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For me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself.
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Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom.
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A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.
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China partially wants to become part of the world. By hosting the Olympics and the Expo, they made a big effort to tell people: Look, we are the same. They want to be accepted by the international community.
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If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.
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Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.
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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 Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.
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My understanding of Chinese history is limited. So far, I have only scratched its surface I wish I could find out more.
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