“I think you can give meaning to any condition; you can be poor or unsuccessful or be so-called successful. But I don't think that it would give an individual human being a better condition.” ThinkingGivingHumansIndividualHuman BeingsPoorSuccessfulConditionsUnsuccessful Author:Ai Weiwei
“This so-called fame or being better off doesn't really attract me at all.” FameBetter Off Author:Ai Weiwei
“I often feel more disgust than pride about this kind of success. So there's no regret whatsoever.” FeelsKindRegretPrideDisgustingNo Regrets 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
“A lot of the time [in the U.S.], I was thinking about how spending time is always questionable or is always the biggest obstacle in my life.” ThinkingObstaclesSpendingSpending TimeQuestionableBiggest Obstacles 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
“Even though everybody who looked at me would call me a Chinese artist, that's the 1980s. New York in the '80s was not so interesting. I think it's quite narrow-minded. There wasn't much encouragement or opportunities for any artist - not just Chinese artists.” ThinkingArtistOpportunityInterestingNew YorkEncouragementChineseCall Me80sNarrow-minded Author:Ai Weiwei
“To call yourself a Chinese artist or woman artist or African artist reflects a certain kind of condition. To me, that is not necessary.” KindArtistCertainConditionsChineseWoman Artist Author:Ai Weiwei
“Of course, people will call you an old artist or young artist, which is just a character of you. But personally, I don't think my work and my understanding of art is so much related to being Chinese, but the character of that. Maybe it's beyond my own consciousness.” PeopleThinkingArtCharacterYoungArtistCoursesUnderstandingMy OwnConsciousnessArt IsChineseRelatedYoung Artists Author:Ai Weiwei
