Ai Weiwei Quotes, Regret Quotes, Pride Quotes

I often feel more disgust than pride about this kind of success. So there's no regret whatsoever.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Regret Quotes , Pride Quotes

We grew up in a very material-lacking socialist society, but today China is a capitalist society. It's very materialistic. It's full of desire and luxury goods.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Luxury Quotes , Desire Quotes

Any design, any city, any kind of craziness or tragedy, it all comes from a long time of preparation.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Cities Quotes , Long Quotes

I think everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it's all we need.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Thinking Quotes

I never felt like a Chinese citizen because I was pushed away at a very young age. My father, a writer, was a national enemy of the Communist Party. He was forbidden to write for 20 years. We literally lived underground. We dug a hole and lived there for years. My father cleaned public toilets, even though he was a highly respected poet. Nationality and borders are barriers to our intelligence, to our imagination and to all kinds of possibilities.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Father Quotes , Party Quotes

I have always stated I designed the stadium as a toilet seat. I don't care if this is a great cultural event or a national symbol. It has nothing to do with me. It deals with the city.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Cities Quotes , Events Quotes

[Cultural departments] don't care about culture. Maybe they're the furthest from the people who understand culture.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , People Quotes , Culture Quotes

Being an artist is more of a mindset, a way of seeing things; it is no longer so much about producing something.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Artist Quotes , Way Quotes

No matter what happens, nothing can prevent the historical process by which society demands freedom and democracy.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Historical Quotes , Democracy Quotes

I don't think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism. And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society - the kind of mistreatment society gave him.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Father Quotes , Independent Quotes

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.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , New York Quotes , Talking Quotes

We should use this public sphere and redefine - beyond China's borders - what a government is allowed to do, where its powers end and where the realm of a citizen's privacy begins.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Government Quotes , Spheres Quotes

The motivation is really to say people can find the game of getting involved interesting and find the problem and really have the passion and the enthusiasm to solve it and move forward, but that's all I know.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Motivation Quotes , Moving Forward Quotes

I don't think I was very structured in that society and I don't really believe in personal success, which most Americans believe in.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Believe Quotes , Thinking Quotes

The United States is a melting pot. Like John F. Kennedy said, it's a nation of immigrants. But Donald Trump wants to build a fence that clearly makes the statement: "You and I are divided. We're different, and you're dangerous." That kind of thinking stops human, civilized evolution. It's dangerous to create that kind of tension.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Different Quotes

The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Lying Quotes , Fake Quotes

I suddenly realized I was getting ten opening notes a day on my mobile phone, more than when I was in New York. But this is China, where nothing is surprising.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , New York Quotes , Phones Quotes

We never really see the global situation as a total situation. Today's political leaders are still lacking of the vision. They very often just try to cope with their own election, their own popularity, solving the problem or selling the ideas to meet their own voters. By doing that, it creates a great imbalance in terms of making deals or treaty or all those things. Even today the borders they're seeing the physical borders are very different from the political borders. Because all those powers are so connected, and you cannot even see whose interest in what move.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Moving Quotes , Leader Quotes

My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression. I don’t think anybody can separate art from politics. The intention to separate [the two] is itself a very political intention.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Art Quotes , Thinking Quotes

I also have to speak out for people around me who are afraid, who think it is not worth it or who have totally given up hope. So I want to set an example: you can do it and this is OK, to speak out.

6 years ago

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Tags : Ai Weiwei Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Speaks Out Quotes