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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.

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
Dangerous
Media
Symbolic
Become
According
Government
Critical
China
Threat
Figure
Figures

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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Creativity is the power to reject the past, to change the status quo, and to seek new potential. Simply put, aside from using one's imagination - perhaps more importantly - creativity is the power to act.
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A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.
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At the moment about 350,000 students return to China from abroad each year - 350,000 young and educated people. I know about them because they know me and often ask me in the street if they can take a selfie with me. These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.
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I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.
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Because Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.
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I think by shattering it we can create a new form, a new way to look at what is valuable — how we decide what is valuable.
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I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.
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I think everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it's all we need.
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Overturning police cars is a super-intense workout. It’s probably the only sport I enjoy.
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You only have temporary curiosity, amusement, and challenges, but that does not necessarily mean you are really convinced that it's necessary or that it's not even worth to do it. It's just a way you have to set up some kind of activities to follow your instincts or your curiosities.
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Politics is like air and water. And you know if there is bad politics. Everyone is polluted. Everyone is unhealthy. See the people walking on the street: how they act.
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[Cultural departments] don't care about culture. Maybe they're the furthest from the people who understand culture.
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Maybe [success] is because I'm in China and I'm more open. Maybe it's my independent behavior, or because I participated in certain projects. I have no idea.
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In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or independent is a pretence. It is impossible for a totalitarian society to create anything with passion and imagination.
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I never had a sense of home.
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Any design, any city, any kind of craziness or tragedy, it all comes from a long time of preparation.
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I will never leave China, unless I am forced to. Because China is mine. I will not leave something that belongs to me in the hands of people I do not trust.
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Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big nonsense.
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I’m an artist who is always looking for what is possible. I’m always looking to extend the boundaries.
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As a total activity - I practice curating, art, architecture, writing, and publishing all together. I still act as a living creature.
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