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The practice of photography is no longer a means for recording reality. Instead, it has become reality itself

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
Mean
Recording
Photography
Instead
Longer
Practice
Means
Reality
Become

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?
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The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that.
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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.
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Of course, there [in China] has to be chaos. It has to be crazy, and I don't think there's anything wrong about it except this government, which is really incapable of doing anything meaningful.
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We move so fast that memory is something we can only grasp
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I have always stated I designed the stadium as a toilet seat. I don't care if this is a great cultural event or a national symbol. It has nothing to do with me. It deals with the city.
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It's really rubbish that some kind of technical learning means you will be a better person because you know this skill better.
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Of course, people will call you an old artist or young artist, which is just a character of you. But personally, I don't think my work and my understanding of art is so much related to being Chinese, but the character of that. Maybe it's beyond my own consciousness.
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If it's possible, I will have some noodles in the morning and start talking to people, start to think about a few things in my head - the project or a few ideas which are not finished or if there are possible directions and what will lead into another game. It's always like setting up some kind of game you can continuously play.
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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.
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Art is always about overcoming obstacles between the inner condition and the skill for expression.
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I always admire writers. My father was a writer, a poet. I always admire people who can clearly state their mind.
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A small act is worth a million thoughts.
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Because Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.
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Historically, China is not a nation of sportsmen. We traditionally put more emphasis on being close to nature than pushing endlessly to excel. A philosophy that values tranquil contemplation of the landscape cannot easily be adapted to the Olympic slogan of 'higher, stronger, faster.'
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I don't think there is a distinct change, because in the West I'm not a person who can serve his purpose.
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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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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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My typical day is I wake up and appreciate that I can still wake up.
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I loved New York — every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong — visually and intellectually. It was like a monster.
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