Ai Weiwei

Chinese artist, activist

Contemporary influential 98 sayings

Sayings by Ai Weiwei

The government likes to control everything, to control your mind, your thought, your information. But they cannot control your dreams.

2011 — Interview with The New Yorker
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the most important thing for an artist is to be responsible for his own actions, for his own words, for his own thoughts.

2012 — Interview with The Huffington Post
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My art is a reflection of my life, my experiences, my struggles, my hopes.

2015 — Interview with The Washington Post
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I believe that art can change the world. Art can make people think, can make people question, can make people act.

2010 — Interview with The Guardian
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My work is about humanity, about human dignity, about human rights.

2017 — Interview with The New York Times
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the most important thing for an artist is to be free, to be independent, to be able to express himself without fear.

2011 — Interview with The Art Newspaper
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The internet is a revolution. It's a revolution that gives power to the individual.

2011 — Interview with The Wall Street Journal
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My art is about challenging the authorities, about questioning the power, about fighting for justice.

2012 — Interview with The Los Angeles Times
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I believe that every human being has the right to live in a society where they can express themselves freely, without fear of punishment.

2011 — Interview with The Guardian
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My art is a mirror. It reflects the society, the politics, the culture.

2015 — Interview with The Telegraph
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the most important thing for an artist is to be a human being, to be sensitive to the world, to be concerned about humanity.

2015 — Interview with The Sydney Morning Herald
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My work is a form of activism. It's a way of speaking out, of challenging the power, of fighting for justice.

2015 — Interview with The Financial Times
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I believe that every individual has the right to pursue happiness, to pursue freedom, to pursue their own dreams.

2011 — Interview with The New York Times
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The internet is a tool for freedom. It's a tool for democracy. It's a tool for human rights.

2011 — Interview with The Guardian
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My art is about challenging the propaganda, about exposing the lies, about telling the truth.

2016 — Interview with The Art Newspaper
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I think the most important thing for an artist is to be bold, to be courageous, to be fearless.

2015 — Interview with The Wall Street Journal
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My life is a performance. It's a performance for freedom, for justice, for human rights.

2012 — Interview with The New York Times
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I believe that every single individual has the responsibility to speak out against injustice, to fight for what is right.

2014 — Interview with The Guardian
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The government is afraid of the truth. They are afraid of people who speak out. They are afraid of people who think independently.

2011 — Interview with The Economist
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My art is a way of questioning the system, of challenging the power, of making people think.

2007 — Interview with Art21
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable