“Politics is like air and water. And you know if there is bad politics. Everyone is polluted. Everyone is unhealthy. See the people walking on the street: how they act.” PeopleIfsKnowsPoliticsWaterAirStreetsWalkingUnhealthyAir And WaterBad Politics Author:Ai Weiwei
“I'm a free man now, except I cannot leave China. You know, I have no desire to travel. I have so many things to do; I cannot finish them now.” KnowsMenDesireTravelChinaThings To DoFree Man Author:Ai Weiwei
“It doesn't matter where I am - China will stay in me. I don't know how far I can still walk on this road and what is the limit.” KnowsStillsI CanMatterWalksKnow HowLimitsChina Author:Ai Weiwei
“The IT people who have made such an effort to know and understand computer technology. They are frustrated that you cannot use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in China. They are the first to recognize that the situation is terrible.” PeopleKnowsFirstsMadeUseEffortSituationTechnologyTerribleComputerChinaFrustratedYoutubeComputer Technology Author:Ai Weiwei
“The deadly weapon against totalitarian society is openness - doing everything very openly on the Internet, letting people know every detail, any little development. Once it is out there, everybody can make their own judgement. [Therefore] holding a trial outside the court. I think that is fairness, that is justice, that is a civil society. Otherwise call it an evil society because everything is hidden.” PeopleThinkingKnowsLittlesEvilJusticeDevelopmentInternetWeaponsCourtDetailsTrialsJudgementOpennessFairnessCivil Society Author:Ai Weiwei
“Many people I know - writers, poets - they have all been sentenced not once but sometimes three times after they come out. They serve five or six years, come out another time, and then nine years. Come out again, 12 years. Only because they have a different opinion. They are innocent people, they have beautiful minds, beautiful hearts.” PeopleKnowsYearsMindHeartDifferentSometimesBeautifulThreeOpinionFivePoetSixNineInnocentThree TimesNine YearsAnother TimeBeautiful HeartDifferent OpinionsBeautiful Mind Author:Ai Weiwei
“I'm not a writer, but today I think you have to be everything. As an artist you have an obligation to let people know what is on your mind and why you're doing this.” PeopleThinkingKnowsMindTodayArtistObligation Author:Ai Weiwei
“We live in changing times, and many people experience the challenges that come with it. In the face of uncertain futures, no one will know what to expect.” PeopleKnowsFacesChallengesUncertainUncertain Future Author:Ai Weiwei
“It's really rubbish that some kind of "technical" learning means you will be a better person because you know this skill better.” KnowsKindMeanPersonsSkillsBetter PersonRubbishBeing A Better Person Author:Ai Weiwei
“For those actors and directors who produce films which are always about the old kingdom or about heroes, you know about the fantasies related to the classics, but there is no real discussion about today's life and no discussion of the real conditions - which is really sickening. They've become part of a conspiracy, collaborators of the crime, which is lying to the general public and trying to hide the kind of criminal acts happening in many cases.” KnowsTryingKindRealTodayFilmLyingActorsCasesFantasyConditionsCrimeProduceHeroDirectorsHappeningsCriminalsKingdomsDiscussionRelatedConspiracyCollaboratorsGeneral Public 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
“If I look at it, I would laugh. I don't know how I became successful.” IfsKnowsLooksLaughingKnow HowSuccessful Author:Ai Weiwei
“The motivation is really to say people can find the game of getting involved interesting and find the problem and really have the passion and the enthusiasm to solve it and move forward, but that's all I know.” PeopleKnowsProblemMovingMotivationPassionGamesInterestingInvolvedSolveMoving ForwardEnthusiasm 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
“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.” KnowsWayMindHumansStatesHuman BeingsResponsibilityMembersWho You AreBeing Me Author:Ai Weiwei
“You can never know what is and what is not powerful, but you can always find out what the powerful people are scared of. A state like China looks so powerful, but they are so scared of the Internet, so the Internet is more powerful than them.” PeopleKnowsLooksStatesPowerfulInternetScaredChina Author:Ai Weiwei
