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China Quotes by Ai Weiwei

73 China quotes by Ai Weiwei

All China quotes Ai Weiwei’s page

Ai Weiwei points out that police in China can act without obeying their own laws, and that media freedom is missing, leading to corruption. He also reminds us that China’s ancient history lives inside him, and that the country is slowly opening despite setbacks.

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It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that.

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The relationship between the Chinese government and me is like a Cold War.

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The people who control culture in China have no culture.

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Even if there have been setbacks during these past years, China is changing. China's society is opening.

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China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.

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I don't like China. Even today, I still feel I have no emotional relations with this place.

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I never had secure, belonging feelings with this society [in China].

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In China, we don't have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn't even have a gallery.

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The [China] government has improved in the last years. Of course, the structure is still the same; there's still a one-party system…

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I'm a free man now, except I cannot leave China. You know, I have no desire to travel. I have so many…

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I don't think China should care if this crazy old guy should have a show here or not. You have so many…

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China seems unpredictable because it has a distinct culture and social system. It is still a mystery to other parts of the…

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I will never leave China, unless I am forced to. Because China is mine. I will not leave something that belongs to…

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Any politician who respects China's government should tell it openly what is in his heart. It is disrespectful to keep quiet about…

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To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.

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The society was so different [in China] - it was a feudalistic society. It didn't come to a point of industrial revolution…

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China is an old nation with a colourful history. Its booming economy has triggered an appetite and a curiosity around the world…

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You can never know what is and what is not powerful, but you can always find out what the powerful people are…

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For all the tough talk about China during the presidential debates, Romney and Obama evaded any mention of China's suspect human rights…

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China didn't want to lose the cutting edge of technology. So the idea of having a Sina Weibo was an attempt to…

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Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the…

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Once I was in New York, I completely had no interest for a long time in what happened in China because I…

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The IT people who have made such an effort to know and understand computer technology. They are frustrated that you cannot use…

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I think Chinese leadership is trying to tell the world they have another set of logic or reasoning or values which are…

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After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.

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All movies in China are censored. Out of 600 movies produced in China, only 60 are allowed to show in theatres.

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I don't think China has professional museums - not in the past, present, or near future.

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My musician friends are banned from playing concerts in China because they share the same views as I do. My name cannot…

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

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To protect the right of expression is the central part of an artist's activity... In China many essential rights are lacking, and…

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Everyone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it's not a product; it's an…

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China spends a lot of resources and effort on gaining soft power over culture. The hope is that it can be the…

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Somehow, we [ Tan Dun and director Chen Kaige] were all privileged at the time; we could be outside of China. But…

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It doesn't matter where I am - China will stay in me. I don't know how far I can still walk on…

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The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo show just how much effort China is willing to spend to enter the global…

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The biggest obstacle in interacting with China is the difference in perspectives about basic values. These include issues such as human rights,…

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The rest of the world understands little about China's changes and the possibilities and crises that come with them.

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China partially wants to become part of the world. By hosting the Olympics and the Expo, they made a big effort to…

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A nation like China has become one of the biggest production fields for exporting cheap labor, which also re-questions our history and…

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Of course, there [in China] has to be chaos. It has to be crazy, and I don't think there's anything wrong about…

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More by Ai Weiwei

I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.

If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?

Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…

China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.

This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the…

By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.

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…

I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.

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

It doesn't matter where I am - China will stay in me. I don't know how far I can still walk on this road…

Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world…

Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.

Our lives are bound by physical limits, familial ties, political conditions, and geographical restrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyond them all.

Now I've come to such a mixed culture: America, Europe, South America, Africa. And the politics are changing everywhere all the time and becoming…

I don't think it's worth discussing new directions in the context of Chinese art - there were no old directions, either. Chinese art has…