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I spent a lot of time standing on street corners [of New York City] talking to local residents. I spent time in bookstores and galleries. But most of the time, I really did not have much to do.

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
Really
Street
Galleries
Time
York
Bookstores
Standing
Residents
City
Gallery
Streets
Locals
Cities
Local
Talking
Corners
Much
Spent

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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We grew up in a very material-lacking socialist society, but today China is a capitalist society. It's very materialistic. It's full of desire and luxury goods.
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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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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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Warhol came from an ordinary family and he had a profound understanding about capitalism and material culture. He was probably one of the few Western artists - or artists from the United States - that could be considered a true product of his time and brought out that kind of spirit of the culture.
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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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The world is sphere, has no East or West.
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If artists cannot speak up for human dignity or rights, then who else will do it?
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Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.
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No matter what happens, nothing can prevent the historical process by which society demands freedom and democracy.
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I don’t want the next generation to fight the same fight as I did.
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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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If there is no free speech, every single life has lived in vain
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Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.
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You can never know what is and what is not powerful, but you can always find out what the powerful people are scared of. A state like China looks so powerful, but they are so scared of the Internet, so the Internet is more powerful than them.
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I have to find a place for my own. I have to search for my own happiness.
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What is important is that we actively express our thoughts and wishes, in every realm that we can access.
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It's always the rich and there's plenty to waste, yet still China has a lot of people living in very spare, poor conditions.
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Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward.
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It became like a symbolic thing, to be “an artist.” After Duchamp, I realized that being an artist is more about a lifestyle and attitude than producing some product.
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To call yourself a Chinese artist or woman artist or African artist reflects a certain kind of condition. To me, that is not necessary.
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