My angst and my insecurity reflect the state's angst and insecuri... by Ai Weiwei

My angst and my insecurity reflect the state's angst and insecurity. The state is scared too.

Ai Weiwei

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Categorized in : States Insecurity Scared

After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of ti... by Ai Weiwei

After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.

china periods long

Hopefully, other successes aren't like me. It carries much more meaning to other people; my success story is irrelevant. It doesn't make any sense.

like-me stories people

Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I'm not nostalgic about the old city. I don't enjoy it that much.

nostalgic crazy cities

I never regret anything. by Ai Weiwei

I never regret anything.

never-regret-anything never-regret regret

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.

real hero lying

Society becomes very destructive. by Ai Weiwei

Society becomes very destructive.

destructive

Today, the general masses in this society are in this political-social condition that really encourages people to become rich and become a star and be unique.

stars unique people

I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets of judgment.

reality art thinking

When I first got into the first-year study after the Cultural Revolution, got into the same school with this group, I wasn't conscious of the so-called "Fifth Generation." I didn't like that kind of study condition because there's no real, true education there.

real years school

I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.

trying mean people

If you just turn to your paper or television each day, there are thousands of stories that are much more shocking than the gallery artworks.

each-day stories television

If there's the right condition, I always want to express the concept or ideas in a very independent way.

independent want ideas

To give a price to an artwork, no matter how high or low, is always absurd. It's not something that can be measured by money or by certain numbers.

matter numbers giving

[Shanghai Biennale] has been my attitude for as long as I've been practicing art and other cultural-related activities.

attitude long art

I suddenly realized I was getting ten opening notes a day on my mobile phone, more than when I was in New York. But this is China, where nothing is surprising.

notes phones new-york

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.

encouragement artist new-york

I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Ch... by Ai Weiwei

I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.

artist cities new-york

I never think any place is better than others. by Ai Weiwei

I never think any place is better than others.

thinking

My musician friends are banned from playing concerts in China because they share the same views as I do. My name cannot appear on the web, because my opinion is different from the Party.

party views names

There is no media freedom in China. As a result, the society is corrupt and lacks productivity. It is unable to adjust itself for progress. This will lead to the country's eventual downfall.

progress media country