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 everybody deserves freedom. Freedom is such an abstract word, but it's all we need.
Creativity is the power to act.
For artists and intellectuals today, what is most needed is to be clear about social responsibility, because that is what most people automatically give up. Just to protect yourself as an individual is very political. You don't have to march on Tiananmen, but you do have to be clear-minded, to find your own means of expression.
Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed?
Liberty is about the right to question everything.
I wouldn’t say I’ve become more radical: I was born radical.
We have to give our opinion, we have to say something, or we are a part of it. As an artist I am forced to say something.
I always want people to be confused, to be shocked or realize something later.
Everything is art. Everything is politics.
Maybe being powerful means to be fragile.
I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.
The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility.
The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.
Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught.