Art should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don't think art is elite or mysterious.

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.

This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the quality of their lives.

Modern Chinese culture is weak and lackluster.

I don't personally feel any association with a kind of culture related to state, or culture related to power, which I think is always disgusting.

The biggest obstacle in interacting with China is the difference in perspectives about basic values. These include issues such as human rights, the concept of law and constitution.

This is a very general understanding of art in China, that being an artist can make you money and turn you into a star.