Quote

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

Ai Weiwei

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

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
Freedom
Process
Happens
Prevent
Nothing
Demands
Matter
Historical
Demand
Democracy
Society

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

Image
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.
Ai Weiwei
Image
New York has given me a lot, but I still don't consider it home.
Ai Weiwei
Image
It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that. There are crises and emergencies all the time, we might not even be aware of some. But I am afraid we'll have to wait and observe precisely what the government is up to.
Ai Weiwei
Image
Just look at the statistics: Each university has tens of thousands of applications for students who want to be in art school, but they can only accept a few hundred.
Ai Weiwei
Image
This is a very general understanding of art in China, that being an artist can make you money and turn you into a star.
Ai Weiwei
Image
The purpose of art is the fight for freedom.
Ai Weiwei
Image
Being an artist is more of a mindset, a way of seeing things it is no longer so much about producing something.
Ai Weiwei
Image
Democracy, material wealth, and universal education are the soil upon which modernism exists.
Ai Weiwei
Image
China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.
Ai Weiwei
Image
If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.
Ai Weiwei
Image
If you just turn to your paper or television each day, there are thousands of stories that are much more shocking than the gallery artworks.
Ai Weiwei
Image
The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.
Ai Weiwei
Image
There's no single artwork I even want to mention or that I can even really think about it to have any feeling, to be proud of it.
Ai Weiwei
Image
It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that.
Ai Weiwei
Image
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.
Ai Weiwei
Image
I think of art as coming from daily life, daily experience. I think it's very important not to have it become work for some kind of elite circle.
Ai Weiwei
Image
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.
Ai Weiwei
Image
Civilization has evolved toward more acceptance, understanding and tolerance of global thinking. If we accept differences, our creativity booms. It makes life much more colorful. It also makes humanity much more safe. If we see pureness somewhere as something to be desired, the trouble starts.
Ai Weiwei
Image
To survive, China had to open up to the West. It could not survive otherwise. This was after many millions have died of hunger in a country that was like North Korea is today. Once we became part of global competition, we had to agree to some rules. It's painful, but we had to. Otherwise there was no way to survive.
Ai Weiwei
Image
Everything is art. Everything is politics.
Ai Weiwei