---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was in Beijing a month ago working on…"
description: "\"I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project in collaboration with an architect there, and I was asked very directly whether it was safe t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg"
---

#  I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project…

![“I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project in collaboration with an architect there, and I was asked very directly whether it was safe to breathe in the smoke. They did not have confidence in the museum not to use harmful smoke, and they certainly didn't have confidence that the…” quote by Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg)

> “I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project in collaboration with an architect there, and I was asked very directly whether it was safe to breathe in the smoke. They did not have confidence in the museum not to use harmful smoke, and they certainly didn't have confidence that the city would protect them from harmful smoke.”

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker describes concerns about safety and trust regarding smoke used in an art installation, highlighting doubts about both the museum and city protection.

**In simple terms:** People worried the smoke might be unsafe and lacked trust in institutions.

Key Takeaway

Ensure safety and build trust before public exposure.

Themes

trust public safety art environment communication

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

critical analytical

When to use this quote

- museum exhibition
- urban planning
- public health
- art installations

Key Concepts

risk assessment institutional responsibility public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How can institutions demonstrate safety effectively?
- What steps rebuild public trust?

A Different Perspective

Safety measures alone may not overcome deep mistrust.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Museum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museum/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/)

## Related quotes

> [We are very encouraged that the results from our monitoring of air quality and drinking water conditions in both New York and near the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/we-are-very-encouraged-that-the-results-from-our-monitoring-of-air/)

[Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/)

> [In Mexico City, Tehran, Kolkata, Bangkok, Shanghai, and hundreds of other cities, the air is no longer safe to breathe. In some cities, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/in-mexico-city-tehran-kolkata-bangkok-shanghai-and-hundreds-of-other/)

[Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/)

> [Space is about 100 kilometers away. That’s far away—I wouldn’t want to climb a ladder to get there—but it isn’t that far away. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/space-is-about-100-kilometers-away-that-s-far-away-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/)

> [Beijing would indeed consider vetoing any American effort to sanction Iran at the Security Council.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-zhaoxing/beijing-would-indeed-consider-vetoing-any-american-effort-to-sanction/)

[Li Zhaoxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-zhaoxing/)

> [Team GB's success at the Beijing Olympics can, in part, be said to have been made in Manchester. For example, all the cycling medal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/team-gb-s-success-at-the-beijing-olympics-can-in-part-be-said-to-have/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [My Beijing jersey means more to me than any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephon-marbury/my-beijing-jersey-means-more-to-me-than-any-of-them/)

[Stephon Marbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephon-marbury/)

> [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [If you're in the movies and you haven't been to Beijing, you're kind of missing where things are really happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/if-you-re-in-the-movies-and-you-haven-t-been-to-beijing-you-re-kind/)

[Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/)

> [I was born and raised in Vancouver. I moved to Beijing in 2010 just before the Olympics. Being an Asian Canadian actor, the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osric-chau/i-was-born-and-raised-in-vancouver-i-moved-to-beijing-in-2010-just/)

[Osric Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osric-chau/)

> [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/)

[Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/)

> [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/)

[Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/)

> [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [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 painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

## More by Olafur Eliasson

> [It's hardly even noticeable that so many artists, designers and architects live here. It isn't reflected in the cityscape or in the museums. Many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/it-s-hardly-even-noticeable-that-so-many-artists-designers-and/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [I want to expose and evaluate the fact that the seeing and sensing process is a system that should not be taken for granted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-want-to-expose-and-evaluate-the-fact-that-the-seeing-and-sensing/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [I am not opposed to the art market. I have lots of friends who are collectors. But the whole idea of the art market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-am-not-opposed-to-the-art-market-i-have-lots-of-friends-who-are/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [Ive walked a lot in the mountains in Iceland. And as you come to a new valley, as you come to a new landscape,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/ive-walked-a-lot-in-the-mountains-in-iceland-and-as-you-come-to-a-new/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [For the sake of sanity, the brain and the eyes keep things simple. But take away the sense of sight and suddenly things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/for-the-sake-of-sanity-the-brain-and-the-eyes-keep-things-simple-but/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [I can use the camera to make a place or landscape; the camera to a greater extent projects rather than takes in or reproduces.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-can-use-the-camera-to-make-a-place-or-landscape-the-camera-to-a/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [In the past Berlin was much more radical and extreme and now it's becoming much more of a conventional European city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/in-the-past-berlin-was-much-more-radical-and-extreme-and-now-it-s/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [Over the years, in making art, I have constantly explored issues dealing with space, time, light, and society. I am particularly interested in how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/over-the-years-in-making-art-i-have-constantly-explored-issues/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [The viewer brings something individual to the experience of any artwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/the-viewer-brings-something-individual-to-the-experience-of-any/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [If I have the choice of traveling to Russia, India or New Zealand alone for a week for preliminary discussions or to spend that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/if-i-have-the-choice-of-traveling-to-russia-india-or-new-zealand/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [I've walked a lot in the mountains in Iceland. And as you come to a new valley, as you come to a new landscape,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-ve-walked-a-lot-in-the-mountains-in-iceland-and-as-you-come-to-a/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [It would be wrong to say that the city of Berlin is not regulated. What I think is more interesting is to what extent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/it-would-be-wrong-to-say-that-the-city-of-berlin-is-not-regulated/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [Your rainbow panorama enters into a dialogue with the existing architecture and reinforces what is assured beforehand, that is to say the view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/your-rainbow-panorama-enters-into-a-dialogue-with-the-existing/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [I see the artist as a participant, a co-producer of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-see-the-artist-as-a-participant-a-co-producer-of-reality/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

> [Light has an evident, functional and aesthetic impact on our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/light-has-an-evident-functional-and-aesthetic-impact-on-our-lives/)

[Olafur Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

[Explore all 34 Olafur Eliasson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/)

## More Architect quotes

> [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/)

[Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/)

[Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/)

> [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/)

[Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/)

> [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/)

[Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/)

> [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/)

[Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/)

> [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

[Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project in collaboration with an architect there, and I was asked very directly whether it was safe to breathe in the smoke. They did not have confidence in the museum not to use harmful smoke, and they certainly didn't have confidence that the city would protect them from harmful smoke.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Olafur Eliasson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on-the-smoke-project-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Architect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on-the-smoke-project-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/olafur-eliasson-18866_architect_i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on_732310.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was in Beijing a month ago working on the smoke project in collaboration with an architect there, and I…” — Olafur Eliasson",
                "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": "Olafur Eliasson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olafur-eliasson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was in Beijing a month...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on-the-smoke-project-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olafur-eliasson/i-was-in-beijing-a-month-ago-working-on-the-smoke-project-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
