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In China, we don't have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn't even have a gallery.

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
Gallery
Museums
Contemporary
China
Art
Didn
Even
Years

More quotes by Ai Weiwei

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Somehow, we [ Tan Dun and director Chen Kaige] were all privileged at the time we could be outside of China. But at the moment, we had no sense of what the future was going to be like.
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My angst and my insecurity reflect the state's angst and insecurity. The state is scared too.
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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 American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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If I really have nothing to do, I just watch my cats, take some photos, and go back to my personal blog.
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To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.
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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 don't like China. Even today, I still feel I have no emotional relations with this place.
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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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If there is no free speech, every single life has lived in vain
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All the auction houses care about is the selling of luxury goods.
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A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.
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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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[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I've been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.
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So-called Chinese art and culture is under control of the Party. They exist to serve the official agenda. I call it fake art and culture.
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You see so many people doing quite nice and respectful work, but nobody like Warhol. Warhol is outstanding. I think he has a value that is far from fully understood. He's very special for younger generations.
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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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If I look at it, I would laugh. I don't know how I became successful.
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I saw [Allen Ginsberg] more as an old man who liked poetry and who had a lot of physical and emotional problems. We liked our time together.
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In a society like this there is no negotiation, no discussion, except to tell you that power can crush you any time they want — not only you, your whole family and all people like you.
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