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I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.

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
Otherwise
Came
Back
Reason
Come
Never
Would
Beijing
Time
Excuse

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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To express yourself needs a reason, but expressing yourself is the reason.
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The people who control culture in China have no culture.
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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 restricts the society's freedom of speech. The Communist Party imposes these limits because it lacks confidence towards the future and has no ideals. Nowadays, China is experiencing the detrimental effects of such decisions. Its citizens have no creativity.
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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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I don't think China should care if this crazy old guy should have a show here or not. You have so many museums in the West, and so many shows, you need somebody to show the work, otherwise it's empty.
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If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.
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I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.
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Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed?
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The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.
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I don't think China has professional museums - not in the past, present, or near future.
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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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I don't personally feel any association with a kind of culture related to state, or culture related to power, which I think is always disgusting.
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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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Society becomes very destructive.
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Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don’t feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy.
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We see the tendency in the world to criticise democracy and sometimes even to say that authoritarian countries like China are more efficient. That is very short-sighted. China looks efficient only because it can sacrifice most people's rights. This is not something the west should be happy about.
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I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom
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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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Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.
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