Quotes from Ai Weiwei

I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.

Because Great Britain has self-confidence, it doesn't need a monumental Olympics.

Now the British are coming. I think Cameron should ask the Chinese government not to make people 'disappear' or to jail them merely because they have different opinions.

Today, we jump into this globalization of the economy and the internet age.

I am everywhere and I am nowhere. That's the beauty of the Internet Age.

China has not established the rule of law and if there is a power above the law there is no social justice. Everybody can be subjected to harm. I'm just a citizen: my life is equal in value to any other. But I'm thankful that when I lost my freedom so many people shared feelings and put such touching effort into helping me.

Historically, China is not a nation of sportsmen. We traditionally put more emphasis on being close to nature than pushing endlessly to excel. A philosophy that values tranquil contemplation of the landscape cannot easily be adapted to the Olympic slogan of 'higher, stronger, faster.'

Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.

I don't think [price] reflects if the work is good or bad.A good artist shouldn't be nervous about that.

Beijing is constructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum, yet it will not feature any of my work.

My work is always a ready-made... cultural, political, or social, and also it could be art - to make people re-look at what we have done, its original position, to create new possibilities.

The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.

Because Chinese art is booming, it legitimizes this profession.

So-called Chinese art and culture is under control of the Party. They exist to serve the official agenda. I call it fake art and culture.

Art is always about overcoming obstacles between the inner condition and the skill for expression.

New York is a city where you're so alone, you're an individual, you can disappear. You can make something happen. But it's very different to make something happen in the art world.

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.

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

In China, we don't have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn't even have a gallery.

I'm most embarrassed at my art shows, even though I don't show it.

I'm always interested in people who are not orientated in art circles to become part of it.

Art needs to stand for something.

Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?

It became like a symbolic thing, to be "an artist." After Duchamp, I realized that being an artist is more about a lifestyle and attitude than producing some product.