“Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world it is more dangerous. In the west people think it's a right they're born with. Here it's a right given by the government, and one that's not really practised.” PeopleThinkingWorldRealGovernmentGivenBornOpinionDangerousCitizensConstitutionWestChineseReal World Author:Ai Weiwei
“To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.” GovernmentMediaDangerousFiguresThreatChinaCriticalSymbolic Author:Ai Weiwei
“When human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That's dangerous for human development.” ThinkingFeelsHumansGovernmentHuman BeingsDangerousDevelopmentScaredExposedHuman DevelopmentFree Thinking Author:Ai Weiwei
“China didn't want to lose the cutting edge of technology. So the idea of having a Sina Weibo was an attempt to compete with Twitter. However, it has no soul - which is freedom of expression. Nevertheless, I think the government regrets having Sina Weibo, but they cannot shut it down. That would definitely be suicidal.” ThinkingWantIdeasSoulGovernmentLosesTechnologyCuttingExpressionRegretEdgesChinaNeverthelessSuicidalFreedom Of ExpressionCutting Edge Author:Ai Weiwei
“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.” PeopleIfsThinkingGivingGovernmentValuesCommonProtectEssentialsGiving UpCommon SenseChinese 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
“Everything is selected by the central government without good judgment or an understanding of culture to make it really safe. They will become nobody to maintain their power and be raised to the next higher level.” GovernmentCultureNextUnderstandingLevelsHigherSafeJudgmentRaisedSelectedHigher LevelGood JudgmentCentral Government Author:Ai Weiwei
“Of course, there [in China] has to be chaos. It has to be crazy, and I don't think there's anything wrong about it except this government, which is really incapable of doing anything meaningful.” ThinkingGovernmentCoursesCrazyChaosChinaMeaningfulIncapableBeing Crazy 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
“Chinese government is very clearly losing power in every aspect, but trying to fix up all the problems or potential problems.” TryingProblemGovernmentLosingAspectChineseLosing PowerChinese Government Author:Ai Weiwei
“The [China] government has improved in the last years. Of course, the structure is still the same; there's still a one-party system and strong censorship.” YearsStillsGovernmentLastsCoursesStrongPartyStructureChinaCensorshipLast Year Author:Ai Weiwei
“Everyone thinks the Chinese government selected me. Never ever. I was selected by Herzog and de Meuron.” ThinkingGovernmentChineseSelectedChinese Government Author:Ai Weiwei
“It is not an easy job to govern China, I am aware of that. There are crises and emergencies all the time, we might not even be aware of some. But I am afraid we'll have to wait and observe precisely what the government is up to.” GovernmentMightJobsEasyWaitingCrisisChinaEmergencies Author:Ai Weiwei
“Any politician who respects China's government should tell it openly what is in his heart. It is disrespectful to keep quiet about such issues - both vis-a-vis the government and the people concerned.” PeopleShouldHeartGovernmentIssuesPoliticianQuietConcernedChinaDisrespectful Author:Ai Weiwei
“The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.” GovernmentInternetPressureSpheres Author:Ai Weiwei
“We should use this public sphere and redefine - beyond China's borders - what a government is allowed to do, where its powers end and where the realm of a citizen's privacy begins.” ShouldEndsUseGovernmentCitizensChinaBordersRealmsPrivacySpheres Author:Ai Weiwei
“At the moment about 350,000 students return to China from abroad each year - 350,000 young and educated people. I know about them because they know me and often ask me in the street if they can take a selfie with me. These folks are creative and ironic, and the government can ultimately not control what is going on in their heads.” PeopleIfsKnowsYearsMomentsGovernmentYoungAsksCreativeStreetsStudentsReturnFolksChinaEducatedAsk MeIronicKnow Me Author:Ai Weiwei
“The leadership knows that you cannot solve the issues of China's future with the means of the past. The demographic consequences of the one-child policy, the build-up of the welfare state, the jobs for 7 million university graduates every year, the immense corruption: Even some Western governments would have to scramble to find solutions to such problems.” KnowsYearsMeanChildrenStatesProblemGovernmentJobsPastMillionsIssuesPolicySolutionsConsequenceWesternUniversityCorruptionChinaSolveWelfareGraduatesImmenseDemographicsWelfare State Author:Ai Weiwei
