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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

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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
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Afraid
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More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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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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China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.
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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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Overturning police cars is a super-intense workout. It’s probably the only sport I enjoy.
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I don't think [price] reflects if the work is good or bad.A good artist shouldn't be nervous about that.
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I always want to design a frame that’s open to everyone. I don’t see art as a secret code.
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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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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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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about exhibiting in museums or about hanging it on the wall.
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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.
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If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.
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It's always nice to share your energy with young people, the people who might not have any skills but are simply willing to be a part of it.
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I don’t want the next generation to fight the same fight as I did.
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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.
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Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.
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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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Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.
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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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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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The practice of photography is no longer a means for recording reality. Instead, it has become reality itself
Ai Weiwei