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My musician friends are banned from playing concerts in China because they share the same views as I do. My name cannot appear on the web, because my opinion is different from the Party.

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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More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon.
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Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.
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I think China is laughing about the results of the presidential elections. China, Russia, they all laugh about it. They see how dramatic U.S. has to be put this kind of shame on its own - cannot handle the situation. Or show such a difficulty with this liberal ideas. Men or women created equal. And to defend those very essential ideas.
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[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.
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Liberty is about our rights to question everything.
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China spends a lot of resources and effort on gaining soft power over culture. The hope is that it can be the last lifeline for the Party's survival. Obviously, the idea will fail.
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The demand for individual freedom leads us to different realms, and it enables us to participate in social events.
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Many people are going to use [Beijing National Stadium], which makes it more meaningful. If we don't design it, somebody else has to design it.
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Our lives are bound by physical limits, familial ties, political conditions, and geographical restrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyond them all.
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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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[Being unique] gives so much privilege to people who can make it, rather than having some moral and aesthetic discussions.
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I think Allen [Ginsberg] was a person who's like a child.
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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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There is no media freedom in China. As a result, the society is corrupt and lacks productivity. It is unable to adjust itself for progress. This will lead to the country's eventual downfall.
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We live in changing times, and many people experience the challenges that come with it. In the face of uncertain futures, no one will know what to expect.
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We have to give our opinion, we have to say something, or we are a part of it. As an artist I am forced to say something.
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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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Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.
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If I look at it, I would laugh. I don't know how I became successful.
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