Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei; born 28 August 1957 in Beijing) is a Chinese Contemporary artist and activist. His father's side's original surname is 蔣 Jiang. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. As a political activist, he has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He has investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionSculptor
Date of Birth18 May 1957
CityBeijing, China
CountryChina
I hope that my work expresses my worldview and encourages people to exchange ideas.
China seems unpredictable because it has a distinct culture and social system. It is still a mystery to other parts of the world, even though the veil of China has been lifted many times as a result of globalization.
When you have strict censorship of the internet, young students cannot receive a full education. Their view of the world is imbalanced. There can be no true discussion of the issues.
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?
The rest of the world understands little about China's changes and the possibilities and crises that come with them.
By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.
Everything is art. Everything is politics.
The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility.
Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.
I think of art as coming from daily life, daily experience. I think it's very important not to have it become work for some kind of elite circle.
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.
I always admire writers. My father was a writer, a poet. I always admire people who can clearly state their mind.
Warhol influenced me because of his writing. If I had never read his writings and interviews, I would never have understood his work.
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.