Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei; born 28 August 1957 in Beijing) is a Chinese Contemporary artist and activist. His father's side's original surname is 蔣 Jiang. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. As a political activist, he has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He has investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionSculptor
Date of Birth18 May 1957
CityBeijing, China
CountryChina
I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom
This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the quality of their lives.
As a human being, member of society, you must clearly state your mind. It's a responsibility. It is the way you identify yourself otherwise you don't know who you are and why you are here.
Overturning police cars is a super-intense workout. It’s probably the only sport I enjoy.
Everyone of us is a potential convict.
Liberty is about our rights to question everything.
Technology is a liberation. I think the information age probably is the best thing to happen to the human race in human evolution. Now you have the equal opportunity to equip yourself through information and knowledge and express yourself as an independent mind.
Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward.
Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.
The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.
Everyone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it's not a product; it's an understanding of human nature.
The misconception of totalitarianism is that freedom can be imprisoned. This is not the case. When you constrain freedom, freedom will take flight and land on a windowsill.
A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.
I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.