I think by shattering it we can create a new form, a new way to look at what is valuable — how we decide what is valuable.

I always want to design a frame that’s open to everyone. I don’t see art as a secret code.

I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.

I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our proposal won the competition. From beginning to end, I stayed with the project. I am committed to fostering relationships between a city and its architecture.

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.

Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.

For artists and intellectuals today, what is most needed is to be clear about social responsibility, because that is what most people automatically give up. Just to protect yourself as an individual is very political. You don't have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.