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.

The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.

This so-called fame or being better off doesn't really attract me at all.

Everyone of us is a potential convict.

I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power.

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

I always thought that in modern history Chinese people are like a dish of sand, never really close together. But I think a dish of sand is a good metaphor because we have the Internet. We don't have to be physically united. You can be an individual and have your own set of values but join others in certain struggles. There is nothing more powerful than that.