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
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.
During the days in detention, I thought most about the moon.
I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power.
The American experience influenced my understanding of individuality, basic human rights, freedom of expression and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.
I think by shattering it we can create a new form, a new way to look at what is valuable—how we decide what is valuable.
This so-called contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society,