--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This so-called contemporary art is not a…" description: "\"This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,\" — Ai Weiwei" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png" --- # This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a… ![“This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,” quote by Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png) > “This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,” [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemporary art is less about form and more about reflecting societal philosophy. **In simple terms:** Modern art expresses social ideas, not just shape. Key Takeaway Use art to critique and inspire societal change. Themes art society philosophy culture Mood thought‑provoking critical Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - exhibitions - public installations - educational workshops Key Concepts social commentary conceptual art public discourse Questions to Reflect On - What societal issues does this art address? - How can viewers engage critically? A Different Perspective Art may be misunderstood without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Contemporary art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-art/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [An aged painter cannot help but accept the fact that his work belongs in the past. Younger painters have leaped into the phenomenon called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-plaskett/an-aged-painter-cannot-help-but-accept-the-fact-that-his-work-belongs/) [Joseph Plaskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-plaskett/) > [The most effective way of destroying art is the canonization of one given form. And one philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/the-most-effective-way-of-destroying-art-is-the-canonization-of-one/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [Identify the dominant philosophy of a society and you can predict its future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/identify-the-dominant-philosophy-of-a-society-and-you-can-predict-its/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I feel like contemporary art is everywhere now and with the rise of the internet, it's so much easier to see what artists are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-chow/i-feel-like-contemporary-art-is-everywhere-now-and-with-the-rise-of/) [China Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-chow/) > [Most people don't like to be confronted with an actual fact-of-life because it's difficult to metabolize. A painting of a bowl of fruit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adamo-macri/most-people-don-t-like-to-be-confronted-with-an-actual-fact-of-life/) [Adamo Macri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adamo-macri/) > [The problem with contemporary art is that no one bothers to do the research necessary to give people what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/the-problem-with-contemporary-art-is-that-no-one-bothers-to-do-the/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [One of the great things about collecting contemporary art is that you mix with contemporary people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-graff/one-of-the-great-things-about-collecting-contemporary-art-is-that-you/) [Laurence Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-graff/) > [Only lifeless mechanisms move along faultlessly straight lines and compass circles. In art the surest way to destroy is to canonize one given form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/only-lifeless-mechanisms-move-along-faultlessly-straight-lines-and/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [We are afraid of the known and afraid of the unknown. That is our daily life and in that there is no hope, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-are-afraid-of-the-known-and-afraid-of-the-unknown-that-is-our/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [You do what you have to do in life, when you form a philosophy that you can't talk yourself out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantine-karamanlis/you-do-what-you-have-to-do-in-life-when-you-form-a-philosophy-that/) Constantine Karamanlis > [“Poetry is the most potent form of philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/poetry-is-the-most-potent-form-of-philosophy/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [A contemporary artist can use the findings of all epochs and all styles, from the most primitive literary expressions up to the most refined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-goytisolo/a-contemporary-artist-can-use-the-findings-of-all-epochs-and-all/) [Juan Goytisolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-goytisolo/) > [New materials are one of the great afflictions of contemporary art. Some artists confuse new materials with new ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/new-materials-are-one-of-the-great-afflictions-of-contemporary-art/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [We have created indoor installations inside museums, like the Wrapped Floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 1968, and not monumental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christo/we-have-created-indoor-installations-inside-museums-like-the-wrapped/) [Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christo/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) ## More by Ai Weiwei > [I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-m-totally-independent-i-don-t-bear-any-responsibility-to-any-system/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/if-my-art-has-nothing-to-do-with-people-s-pain-and-sorrow-what-is-art/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/china-has-a-rich-history-that-has-spanned-millennia-it-consists-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-world-should-be-much-more-open-and-should-be-much-more-free-so/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/by-participating-in-the-society-we-live-in-we-understand-our/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ I curated this show \[Shanghai Biennale \], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-curated-this-show-shanghai-biennale-i-was-by-no-means-trying-to/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-think-we-cannot-have-a-double-standard-we-cannot-see-our-art-as/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/it-doesn-t-matter-where-i-am-china-will-stay-in-me-i-don-t-know-how/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/chinese-citizens-have-never-had-the-right-to-really-express-their/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/your-own-acts-tell-the-world-who-you-are-and-what-kind-of-society-you/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Our lives are bound by physical limits, familial ties, political conditions, and geographical restrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyond them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/our-lives-are-bound-by-physical-limits-familial-ties-political/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/now-i-ve-come-to-such-a-mixed-culture-america-europe-south-america/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-don-t-think-it-s-worth-discussing-new-directions-in-the-context-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) [Explore all 359 Ai Weiwei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ai Weiwei" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a-form-but-a-philosophy-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a-form-but-a-philosophy-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/ai-weiwei-824_art_this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a_397372.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,” — Ai Weiwei", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ai Weiwei", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This so-called contemporary art is not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a-form-but-a-philosophy-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-so-called-contemporary-art-is-not-a-form-but-a-philosophy-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```