“My image of what a city should be - the super-rich and all the poor and desperate and the people who have some kind of a desire. It's a surviving game, people trying to survive on many different levels.” PeopleShouldTryingKindDifferentDesireGamesPoorLevelsCitiesRichDesperateSurvivingDifferent Levels Author:Ai Weiwei
“New York is a city where you're so alone, you're an individual, you can disappear. You can make something happen. But it's very different to make something happen in the art world.” WorldArtDifferentHappensIndividualCitiesNew YorkDisappearThings HappenArt World Author:Ai Weiwei
“The museums used to be exhibition halls for government propaganda, and now every city wants to build a museum. A few thousand are to be built in the next few years, all using taxpayer money. But there is no system, no research, no content, no good programs, no good managers.” WantYearsGovernmentUsedNextCitiesThousandResearchBuiltProgramUsed To BeManagersPropagandaGood ManHallsMuseumsTaxpayersExhibitionsGood Manager Author:Ai Weiwei
“I spent a lot of time standing on street corners [of New York City] talking to local residents. I spent time in bookstores and galleries. But most of the time, I really did not have much to do.” CitiesTalkingStreetsNew YorkStandingCornersLocalsNew York CityGalleryBookstoresResidentsStreet Corners Author:Ai Weiwei
“I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.” ArtistCitiesNew YorkChineseNew York City Author:Ai Weiwei
“In my case, I was stuck there for quite a while. New York is large enough to be a very abstract city, so nobody cares.” EnoughCareCitiesCasesNew YorkStuckAbstractNobody Cares Author:Ai Weiwei
“New York was not a romantic city at [80th]. Nobody knows who you are and you don't have to care about anybody else. It's a very cold city, I should say.” KnowsShouldCareCitiesNew YorkColdWho You AreNobody Knows Author:Ai Weiwei
“Any design, any city, any kind of craziness or tragedy, it all comes from a long time of preparation.” KindLongCitiesDesignLong TimeTragedyPreparationCraziness Author:Ai Weiwei
“Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I'm not nostalgic about the old city. I don't enjoy it that much.” EnjoyCitiesCrazyNostalgic Author:Ai Weiwei
“I'm not nostalgic about the old city. I don't enjoy it that much. It was just a city with one emperor and the rest of them just rats or meaningless people.” PeopleEnjoyCitiesMeaninglessRatsEmperorNostalgic Author:Ai Weiwei
“Otherwise, I think the building can be bigger, larger, and the city can be much more crazy. The problem is the government structure is so deadly stupid, not really solving problems but creating a lot of problems itself every day.” ThinkingProblemGovernmentCitiesCrazyStupidBuildingCreatingBiggerStructureProblem Solving Author:Ai Weiwei
“I have always stated I designed the stadium as a toilet seat. I don't care if this is a great cultural event or a national symbol. It has nothing to do with me. It deals with the city.” IfsCareDealsCitiesEventsDon't CareSymbolsI Don't CareSeatsToiletsStadiumsToilet Seat Author:Ai Weiwei
“I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our proposal won the competition. From beginning to end, I stayed with the project. I am committed to fostering relationships between a city and its architecture.” EndsCitiesDesignProjectsCompetitionCommittedArchitectureAcceptedInvitationsProposalStadiumsBeijingFostering Author:Ai Weiwei
“Cities really are mental conditions. Beijing is a nightmare. A constant nightmare.” CitiesConditionsConstantNightmareBeijing Author:Ai Weiwei
“A city is a place that can offer maximum freedom. Otherwise it’s incomplete.” CitiesOffersMaximumIncomplete Author:Ai Weiwei
