Ai Weiwei on Freedom

"The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It’s as simple as that."

"Freedom of speech implies the world isn’t defined. It is meaningful when people are allowed to see the world their way."

"I think it’s a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power."

"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."

"China society which forbids any flow of the information and freedom of speech. This is on record, so everybody should know this."

"I have no sense of why I lost my freedom and if you do not know how you lost something, how can you protect it?"

"A land that rejects the truth, barricades itself against change and lacks the spirit of freedom is hopeless."

"I think restrictions are an essential condition in the fight for freedom of expression. It’s also a source for any kind of creativity."

"If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it’s a human need."

"If there is one who’s not free, then I am not free. If there is one who suffers, then I suffer."

"A city is a place that can offer maximum freedom. Otherwise it’s incomplete."

"Without freedom of speech, there is no modern world, just a barbaric one."

"Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom."

"Stupidity can win for a moment, but it can never really succeed because the nature of humans is to seek freedom. Rulers can delay that freedom, but they cannot stop it."

"I’ve never planned any part of my career—except being an artist. And I was pushed into that corner because I thought being an artist was the only way to have a little freedom."

"'Why are you so concerned about society?' That is always the question. And my answer is simple: 'Because you are an artist, you have to associate yourself with freedom of expression.'"

"I often ask myself if I am afraid of being detained again. I love freedom as much as anybody else, maybe more than most. But it is a tragedy to live your life in fear. It is worse than actually losing your freedom."

"Freedom of expression is a very essential condition for me to make any art. Also, it is an essential value for my life. I have to protect this right and also to fight for the possibility."

"They don’t believe in liberty. They don’t believe in China before the Communists. There is only one simple, clear task: to protect their control, to maintain their governing. Which is such a pity."

"140 words in Chinese, you really can write a novel. Most of Confucius’s sentences only four words, so 140 words take his whole life to write. And you can discuss the most profound ideas related to democracy, freedom, poetry."

"They cannot stop people from communicating freely, to get information and to express themselves. When they do that, this nation is not a right place to live. They sacrifice generations of people’s opportunities. This is a crime."

"When I checked into a hospital , I was told there was bleeding in my brain and I was near fatal collapse. I was rushed into surgery. When I awoke I felt like a normal person again. But I will not feel whole until I and my fellow Chinese can live freely."

"We should leave behind discrimination, because it is narrow-minded and ignorant, denies contact and warmth, and corrodes mankind’s belief that we can better ourselves. The only way to avoid misunderstanding, war, and bloodshed is to defend freedom of expression and to communicate with sincerity, concern, and good intentions."

"Living in a system under the Communist ideology, an artist cannot avoid fighting for freedom of expression. You always have to be aware that art is not only a self-expression but a demonstration of human rights and dignity. To express yourself freely, a right as personal as it is, has always been difficult, given the political situation."

"In a society where there is no freedom of the press, it is difficult for victims to be noticed. Just take the example from yesterday: I had given a telephone interview to CNN. Then, suddenly, CNN was shut down for a couple of minutes. It was the first time I experienced that my television went totally dead. I realized: Oh my God, it’s because of me. This is crazy! Which nation would do that? Maybe Cuba, North Korea, China. But what do they want, what are they so afraid of?"

"My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about exhibiting in museums or about hanging it on the wall. Art should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don’t think art is elite or mysterious. I don’t think anybody can separate art from politics. The intention to separate art from politics is itself a very political intention."