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No matter what happens, nothing can prevent the historical process by which society demands freedom and democracy.

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
Nothing
Demands
Matter
Historical
Demand
Democracy
Society
Freedom
Process
Happens
Prevent

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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I call on people to be 'obsessed citizens,' forever questioning and asking for accountability. That's the only chance we have today of a healthy and happy life.
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My work is always a ready-made... cultural, political, or social, and also it could be art - to make people re-look at what we have done, its original position, to create new possibilities.
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I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.
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Had I to create a name for these times, I’d say it is the age of craziness
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If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.
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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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China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.
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Even though everybody who looked at me would call me a Chinese artist, that's the 1980s. New York in the '80s was not so interesting. I think it's quite narrow-minded. There wasn't much encouragement or opportunities for any artist - not just Chinese artists.
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The [China] government has improved in the last years. Of course, the structure is still the same there's still a one-party system and strong censorship.
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China's culture and history are closely related to my living environment. This country is my birthplace. It is also where I grew up. Its culture and history shape my relations with family, friends, society, and daily life.
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Everyone thinks the Chinese government selected me. Never ever. I was selected by Herzog and de Meuron.
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I am very much interested in the so-called useless object. I mean, it takes perfect craftsmanship, beautiful material carefully measured and crafted, but at the same time it’s really useless.
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[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I've been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.
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The fantasy we had with pearls was always so luxurious and unique with a kind of rareness.
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I think U.S. and China is a big opportunity, to be seen as partner or some kind of strategic partner maybe. But those kind of powers have a way of getting too big, then we'll have competition. And who is going to win the competition if U.S. cannot hold a strong ideology? And even the U.S. would've lost the ground to win.
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The world is sphere, has no East or West.
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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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Today, we jump into this globalization of the economy and the internet age.
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The American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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We should also leave behind discrimination, because it is narrow-minded and ignorant, denies contact and warmth and corrodes mankind's belief that we can better ourselves. The only way to avoid misunderstanding, war and bloodshed is to defend freedom of expression and to communicate with sincerity, concern and good intentions.
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