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Freedom Quotes by Ai Weiwei

38 Freedom quotes by Ai Weiwei

All Freedom quotes Ai Weiwei’s page

Ai Weiwei points out that freedom lets us move past physical limits, family ties, and political borders. He says the ability to speak openly shows how civilized a society is, and without media freedom a country can become corrupt. Weiwei calls those who risk losing their liberty for speaking ideas non‑violent heroes of our time.

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I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom

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The freedom of speech is an important yardstick for a society's level of civilization.

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If there is no free speech, every single life has lived in vain

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Liberty is about our rights to question everything.

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Liberty is about the right to question everything.

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Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart...

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Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom.

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A city is a place that can offer maximum freedom. Otherwise it’s incomplete.

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Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than…

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The misconception of totalitarianism is that freedom can be imprisoned. This is not the case. When you constrain freedom, freedom will take…

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The American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

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Stupidity can win for a moment, but it can never really succeed because the nature of humans is to seek freedom. Rulers…

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The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that.

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

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

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Technology is a liberation. I think the information age probably is the best thing to happen to the human race in human…

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The 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium, which I helped to conceive, is designed to embody the Olympic spirit of 'fair competition.' It tells…

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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression […] I don’t think anybody can separate…

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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is…

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Freedom of expression is a very essential condition for me to make any art. Also, it is an essential value for my…

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China restricts the society's freedom of speech. The Communist Party imposes these limits because it lacks confidence towards the future and has…

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China has not established the rule of law and if there is a power above the law there is no social justice.…

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The Chinese art world does not exist. In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself…

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Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would…

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My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is…

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Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.

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The purpose of art is the fight for freedom,

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

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If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic…

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I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.

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These are nonviolent people who have lost their freedom simply because they expressed their ideas… In truth, they are heroes of our…

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I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power.

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The demand for individual freedom leads us to different realms, and it enables us to participate in social events.

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

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There is no media freedom in China. As a result, the society is corrupt and lacks productivity. It is unable to adjust…

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Widespread state control over art and culture has left no room for freedom of expression in the country. For more than 60…

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In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or independent is a pretence. It…

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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…