Ai Weiwei
Leading Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, cultural and social commentator and activist.
"It is absurd that so much money has been wasted on manipulating public opinion, on simulating emotion. This nation is notorious for its ability to make or fake anything cheaply. “Made-in-China” goods now fill homes around the world. But our giant country has a small problem. We can’t manufacture the happiness of our people."
"You know, if they can do this to me they can do this to anybody, and they have been doing this for over sixty years . . . . it’s a very strange world."
"The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility."
"Only with the Internet can a peasant I have never met hear my voice and I can learn what’s on his mind. A fairy tale has come true."
"The 2008 Olympics has created an illusion of China to the public and to the outside world. It is so fantastic, so unreal, that the entire meaning of the games is being distorted."
"During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon."
"It is as difficult [for Chinese politicians] to get a real smile [from the people] as it is to keep the sky blue and clouds white."
"As an artist, I am very familiar with how to show the details, how to transform them into a language people can understand. They [the government] know that the Internet is a strong force, unbearable for them."
"In talking about memory and our history, I think our humanity, especially in China, is cut. Cut, broken, separated. If we have a character from our history and memory, the character is broken, it’s shattered."
"I’m not sure I’m good at art, but I find an escape in it."
"The Sichuan disaster is not the first nor the most wrongful. But all the details of this tragedy will be forgotten, and once again it will be like nothing ever happened. Eventually all these disasters will together create a bizarre miracle called civilization and evolution."
"My favorite word? It’s 'act.'”
"It is better to have a retarded president who respects human values than a clever government without human values."
"There were thousands of moving messages. People sent money from their first month’s salary. Others said: This is my retirement payment—take it. This is the money for my next pair of shoes—take it. It was very important for me to see and hear those things. Normally you do not see the warmth, humor, care and generosity of the people while writing a blog. You just feel like you are walking in a dark tunnel and you feel alone."
"If you don’t act, the danger becomes stronger."
"This is something you can never erase. It leaves a scar on you."
"The disaster-makers always get away, while the innocent are always punished."
"Myself, I try to search for the new way, always trying to set up a new possibility and to find the new tools to express myself. To reach a broader audience."
"We need clear rules to play the game. We need to have respect for the law. If you play a chess game but after two or three moves you can change the rules, how can people play with you? Of course you will win, but after 60 years you will still be a bad player because you never meet anyone who can challenge you. What kind of game is that? Is that interesting? This game is not right, but who is going to say, 'Hey, let’s play fairly?'”
"I came to art because I wanted to escape the other regulations of the society. The whole society is so political. But the irony is that my art becomes more and more political."