Ai Weiwei

Contemporary Artist and Activist

Ai Weiwei (born 18 May 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. 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 following the collapse of so-called "tofu-skin schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, following his arrest at Beijing airport on 3 April, he was held for over two months without any official charges being filed; officials alluded to their allegations of "economic crimes" (tax evasion). In October 2011 ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list. The decision was criticised by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine. (Wikipedia.com)

About the film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry - Ai Weiwei is China's most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention. AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics. First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures. (aiweiweineversorry.com)

To learn more about this amazing film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry visit: AiWeiweiNeverSorry.com

To learn more about Ai Weiwei's work visit: AiWeiwei.com

Like it Tweet +1 it Pin it Link 124 Shares

Simple Reminders by Ai Weiwei

Other Amazing Quotes by Ai Weiwei

Liberty is about our rights to question everything. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (58)

I want people to see their own power. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (72)

Blogs and the Internet are great inventions for our time, because they give regular people an opportunity to change public opinion. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (0)

If you don't act, the danger becomes stronger. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (63)

The internet changes the structure of society all the time - this massiveness made of individuals. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (11)

I wouldn't say I've become more radical: I was born radical. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (49)

Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (20)

I don't see myself as a dissident artist. I see them as a dissident government! by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (30)

It's never about me. My supporters use me as a medium to recognize their own form of life. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (19)

We shall terminate the totalitarianism with our own hands. We will pass onto our offspring a bright, new reality! by @aiww (17)

I don't want the next generation to fight the same fight as I did. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (43)

I always want to design a frame that's open to everyone. I don't see art as a secret code. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (19)

Liberty is about our rights to question everything. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (58)

Shameless dictators always put the whip in your hand. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (56)

Maybe being powerful means to be fragile. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (68)

The world is not changing if you don't shoulder the burden of responsibility. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (32)

In an environment without public platform or protection, the individual is the most powerful and most responsible. by @aiww (16)

Choices after waking up: To be true or to lie? To take action or be brainwashed? To be free or be jailed? by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (4)

A small act is worth a million thoughts. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (69)

Everything is art. Everything is politics. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (67)

The world is a sphere, there is no east or west. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (61)

I think there is a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (27)

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? by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (-12)

Not an inch of the land belongs to you, but every inch could easily imprison you. by @aiww http://smpl.ws/eq (28)

Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country. by @aiww (3)