Widespread state control over art and culture has left no room for freedom of expression in the country. For more than 60 years, anyone with a dissenting opinion has been suppressed. Chinese art is merely a product: it avoids any meaningful engagement. There is no larger context. Its only purpose is to charm viewers with its ambiguity.

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

China partially wants to become part of the world. By hosting the Olympics and the Expo, they made a big effort to tell people: Look, we are the same. They want to be accepted by the international community.

I loved New York — every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong — visually and intellectually. It was like a monster.

It's always the rich and there's plenty to waste, yet still China has a lot of people living in very spare, poor conditions.

Society becomes very destructive.

I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets of judgment.