I have to find a place for my own. I have to search for my own happiness.

When I first got into the first-year study after the Cultural Revolution, got into the same school with this group, I wasn't conscious of the so-called "Fifth Generation." I didn't like that kind of study condition because there's no real, true education there.

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.

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

It became like a symbolic thing, to be “an artist.” After Duchamp, I realized that being an artist is more about a lifestyle and attitude than producing some product.

Freedom of speech implies the world isn’t defined. It is meaningful when people are allowed to see the world their way.

I spent a lot of time standing on street corners [of New York City] talking to local residents. I spent time in bookstores and galleries. But most of the time, I really did not have much to do.