Ai Weiwei
Leading Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, cultural and social commentator and activist.
"No autocracy can lead people to believe that they are living in harmony and happiness."
"Art is always about overcoming obstacles between the inner condition and the skill for expression."
"I will never leave China, unless I am forced to. Because China is mine. I will not leave something that belongs to me in the hands of people I do not trust."
"You’re in total isolation. And you don’t know how long you’re going to be there, but you truly believe they can do anything to you. There’s no way to even question it. You’re not protected by anything. Why am I here? Your mind is very uncertain of time. You become like mad. It’s very hard for anyone. Even for people who have strong beliefs."
"Maybe there is something I got from it. Maybe you also start to be clear on certain things."
"Writers, artists, and commentators on websites are detained or thrown into jail when they reflect on democracy, opening up, reform and reason. This is the reality of China."
"When I checked into a hospital [in Germany, after having been beaten by police in Sichuan], I was told there was bleeding in my brain and I was near fatal collapse. I was rushed into surgery. When I awoke I felt like a normal person again. But I will not feel whole until I and my fellow Chinese can live freely."
"Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?"
"I want to prove that the system is not working. . . . . You can’t simply say that the system is not working. You have to work through it"
"If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it’s a human need." ** Solway, Diane. “Enforced Disappearance.” W Magazine, November 2011.
"Very few people know why art sells so high. I don’t even know."
"Nothing. Jail is about nothing. Completely blank. — “Ai Weiwei: ‘Shame on Me.’” Part 2: “Do They Want Me to Leave?” Der Spiegel, November 21, 2011. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/ai-weiwei-shame-on-me-a-799302-2.html
"I think strategically China has come to a very crucial moment. They [the government] have to re-justify themselves. Even the past 20 to 30 years are based on a kind of destructive, suicidal act. Now they are trying to reach a higher level, but I think in any society, culture should have its own rights: not to be touched by the government, not to be promoted by the government, also not to be destroyed by the government."
"I cannot ever accept the kind of conditions where you can sacrifice someone’s rights."
"The only reason they put me in jail is my involvement in politics, my criticism of the authorities. Later the excuse for my detention became my “tax problem.” But internally they never told me anything about it. I don’t want to underestimate their intelligence, but up to this day I think what they did is very stupid. In fact, they even helped me in an ironic sense. They gave me a chance to explain what is happening with this system. They provided such a platform for me."
"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 own laws." ** Anderlini, Jamil. “China’s ‘Mozart’ Drops Off State Hit Parade.” CNBC.com, May 12, 2010. http://www.cnbc.com/id/37107939/
"Later I became very involved in writing. I really enjoyed that moment of writing. People would pass around my sentences. That was a feeling I never had before. It was like a bullet out of the gun."
"If Shakespeare were alive today, he might be writing on Twitter."
"Block [my blog] if you want, but I cannot self-censor, because that is the only reason I have the blog. We both know this is a game. You have to play your part, and I have to play mine."
"Today China and the world will meet again. People will see that the planet is now smaller than at any time in history, that mankind should bid farewell to arrogance and indifference, to ignorance and discrimination, and understand that we share the same small piece of land. It will be a time to rediscover each other, to share what is good in life, to look each other in the eye and link all ten fingers."