Ai Weiwei Quotes
- All Quotes
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During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon.
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It is as difficult for Chinese politicians to get a real smile from the people as it is to keep the sky blue and clouds white.
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The fundamental problem is not that there are limits on voicing different opinions here. The problem is that the whole society is dying through lack of responsibility or involvement.
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You’re in total isolation. And you don’t know how long you’re going to be there, but you truly believe they can do anything to you. There’s no way to even question it. You’re not protected by anything. Why am I here? Your mind is very uncertain of time. You become like mad. It’s very hard for anyone. Even for people who have strong beliefs.
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I lost all connection with the outside world and was immersed in a world of darkness. I was scared that my existence would fade silently. No one knew where I was, and no one would ever know. I was just like a small soybean-once fallen to the ground, it rolls into a crack in the corner. Being unable to make any sounds, it will forever be forgotten.
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This is a decadent era. Its main characteristic is that it’s dependent on lies and cheating. Once it loses this characteristic, it can’t survive for even a day.
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Chairman Mao was the first in the world to use Twitter. All his quotations are within 140 words.
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One of the reasons religions are widely accepted is spiritual laziness and its resulting fear.
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Expressing oneself is like a drug. I’m so addicted to it.
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They just don’t trust people. They don’t trust individuals, they don’t trust any change that should serve and benefit people, and they try to stop it.
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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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I spend very little time just doing ''art as art.'
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To express yourself needs a reason, but expressing yourself is the reason.
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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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I often ask myself if I am afraid of being detained again. I love freedom as much as anybody else, maybe more than most. But it is a tragedy to live your life in fear. It is worse than actually losing your freedom.
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Before blogging, I was living in the Middle Ages. Now my feelings for time and space are entirely different.
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A fine line separates Chinese intellectuals and professors from the political gangsters who protect them.
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They the government cannot stop people from communicating freely, to get information and to express themselves. When they do that, this nation is not a right place to live. They sacrifice generations of people’s opportunities. This is a crime.
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The great success of this system is that it makes the general public afraid of taking responsibility, afraid of taking a position or giving a definite answer, or even of making mistakes.
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Measuring national prestige by gold medals is like using Viagra to judge the potency of a man.
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We see plenty of artistic work that reflects superficial social conditions, but very little work that questions fundamental values.
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China might seem quite successful in its controls, but it has only raised the water level. It’s like building a dam: it thinks there is more water so it will build higher. But every drop of water is still in there. It doesn’t understand how to let the pressure out. It builds up a way to maintain control and push the problem to the next generation.
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Because of the economic crisis, China and the United States are bound together. This is a totally new phenomenon, and nobody will fight for ideology anymore. It’s all about business.
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Tax crimes should be investigated by the tax bureau, not through secret police detention.