Ai Weiwei Quotes

My situation gives me certain ideas about beauty or the excitement of life, but that doesn't mean other people can necessarily appreciate it.

Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.

Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the final voice, but it requires each individual to act. If we don't act, then the result is very clear. So for too long Americans take liberty as granted. We think we are in the safe hand, the democracy and the liberty, which is not true. And it can be even getting much worse than today.

It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that.

In an environment without public platform nor protection, the individual is the most powerful and most responsible.

The fantasy we had with pearls was always so luxurious and unique with a kind of rareness.

Because Chinese art is booming, it legitimizes this profession.

Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country.

If you just turn to your paper or television each day, there are thousands of stories that are much more shocking than the gallery artworks.

In the end, I think, the state's rigidity is a function of its own insecurity, its indecisiveness.

My angst and my insecurity reflect the state's angst and insecurity. The state is scared too.

Measuring national prestige by gold medals is like using Viagra to judge the potency of a man.

I'm always interested in people who are not orientated in art circles to become part of it.

I'm not a writer, but today I think you have to be everything. As an artist you have an obligation to let people know what is on your mind and why you're doing this.

No state or society can claim to have established human rights once and for all.

To survive, China had to open up to the West. It could not survive otherwise. This was after many millions have died of hunger in a country that was like North Korea is today. Once we became part of global competition, we had to agree to some rules. It's painful, but we had to. Otherwise there was no way to survive.

I loved New York — every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong — visually and intellectually. It was like a monster.

I wouldn’t say I’ve become more radical: I was born radical.

Twitter is the people’s tool, the tool of the ordinary people, people who have no other resources.

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.

A lot of the time [in the U.S.], I was thinking about how spending time is always questionable or is always the biggest obstacle in my life.

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.

The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.

A city is a place that can offer maximum freedom. Otherwise it’s incomplete.

During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon.

I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.

There's no single artwork I even want to mention or that I can even really think about it to have any feeling, to be proud of it.

China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.

The museums used to be exhibition halls for government propaganda, and now every city wants to build a museum. A few thousand are to be built in the next few years, all using taxpayer money. But there is no system, no research, no content, no good programs, no good managers.

I don't believe in a sense of home.

The people who control culture in China have no culture.

If there's the right condition, I always want to express the concept or ideas in a very independent way.

Had I to create a name for these times, I’d say it is the age of craziness

At the moment about 350,000 students return to China from abroad each year - 350,000 young and educated people. I know about them because they know me and often ask me in the street if they can take a selfie with me. These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.

If a master, a wise and experienced man, wields a great weapon, that's beautiful. He can serve peace with it. But if someone's emotions are imbalanced, even if he has the best equipment, he will still mean danger. Modern technology requires calm. You shouldn't trust anyone with a car who has no knowledge about vehicles or roads.

If a society cannot even support somebody like me, then people ask: Who is under protection then? That's why there is such support for me. It is not because I am so beautiful or I am so charming. People feel: This guy is fighting for us.

I think by not letting young people be fully informed, how can they have energy and passion and the right picture of the world? I think that's the true crime.

Beijing is constructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum, yet it will not feature any of my work.

I never had secure, belonging feelings with this society [in China].

I don't think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism. And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society - the kind of mistreatment society gave him.

Overturning police cars is a super-intense workout. It’s probably the only sport I enjoy.

All movies in China are censored. Out of 600 movies produced in China, only 60 are allowed to show in theatres.

Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I'm not nostalgic about the old city. I don't enjoy it that much.

The world is sphere, has no East or West.

Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.

Recently I danced in a video spoof of the song 'Gangnam Style,' and it was quickly banned across multiple Chinese online video platforms. But the story still traveled all over the world, carried in hundreds of international media reports.

My mother became much older when I came out (ed's note: of detention). She had problems with her hearing and high blood pressure. But they still support me.

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.