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I'm always interested in people who are not orientated in art circles to become part of it.
My angst and my insecurity reflect the state's angst and insecurity. The state is scared too.
Artists are the worst [people]. They are selfish, self-centred; they don't care what happens.
Democracy, material wealth, and universal education are the soil upon which modernism exists.
Measuring national prestige by gold medals is like using Viagra to judge the potency of a man.
Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.
Beijing is constructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum, yet it will not feature any of my work.
The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.
I often feel more disgust than pride about this kind of success. So there's no regret whatsoever.
Art is always about overcoming obstacles between the inner condition and the skill for expression.
The Internet changes the structure of society all the time — this massiveness made of individuals.
Twitter is the people’s tool, the tool of the ordinary people, people who have no other resources.
In the end, I think, the state's rigidity is a function of its own insecurity, its indecisiveness.
After I came back [to China], there was still a long period of time when I felt I had nothing to do.
Any design, any city, any kind of craziness or tragedy, it all comes from a long time of preparation.
I have to respect my life, and free expression is part of my life. I can never really silence myself.
Destroy or build. Crazy or noncrazy. I'm not nostalgic about the old city. I don't enjoy it that much.
I’m an artist who is always looking for what is possible. I’m always looking to extend the boundaries.
Everyone thinks the Chinese government selected me. Never ever. I was selected by Herzog and de Meuron.
[Cultural department] understand nothing but bureaucratic daily affairs. They don't care about culture.
I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.
I don't think [price] reflects if the work is good or bad.A good artist shouldn't be nervous about that.
If there's the right condition, I always want to express the concept or ideas in a very independent way.
[Museums] all belongs to the cultural department, which is the biggest cultural department in the world.
If I really have nothing to do, I just watch my cats, take some photos, and go back to my personal blog.
Even if there have been setbacks during these past years, China is changing. China's society is opening.
Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don’t feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy.
Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed?
What is important is that we actively express our thoughts and wishes, in every realm that we can access.
I don't think there is a distinct change, because in the West I'm not a person who can serve his purpose.
I don't belong to a working system. They only select people if you belong to one so you can be controlled.
I was an illegal alien for many, many years. I couldn't move. If I moved I could not even get a visa back.
For me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself.
In China, we don't have any contemporary art museums. Until a few years ago, we didn't even have a gallery.
By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.
Through my work and ways of expression, I strive to engage in dialogue with the society that I am living in.
The practice of photography is no longer a means for recording reality. Instead, it has become reality itself
China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.
I can still wake up the next day and feel that there's something that needs to be done, which always amuses me.
All movies in China are censored. Out of 600 movies produced in China, only 60 are allowed to show in theatres.
Being an artist is more of a mindset, a way of seeing things; it is no longer so much about producing something.
The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that.
The Internet has established a public sphere and developed a pressure which the government can no longer ignore.
I always admire writers. My father was a writer, a poet. I always admire people who can clearly state their mind.
The demand for individual freedom leads us to different realms, and it enables us to participate in social events.
No matter what happens, nothing can prevent the historical process by which society demands freedom and democracy.
I believe [the architecture firm] Herzog and de Meuron and our collaboration made the product the best it could be.
In an environment without public platform nor protection, the individual is the most powerful and most responsible.
The media is the message. It carries the full intention and the meaning. Once you change it...it's very disturbing.
[Cultural departments] don't care about culture. Maybe they're the furthest from the people who understand culture.