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

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.

New York was not a romantic city at [80th]. Nobody knows who you are and you don't have to care about anybody else. It's a very cold city, I should say.

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

China and the U.S. are two societies with very different attitudes towards opinion and criticism. In China, I am constantly under surveillance. Even my slightest, most innocuous move can - and often is - censored by Chinese authorities.

Cities really are mental conditions. Beijing is a nightmare. A constant nightmare.

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.