Later I became very involved in writing. I really enjoyed that moment of writing. People would pass around my sentences. That was a feeling I never had before. It was like a bullet out of the gun.
I always have an attitude. Even if there are no plans, I have an attitude. Perhaps I answered imprecisely before, saying that I am just a person. I am actually a person with an attitude.
Expressing oneself is like a drug. I’m so addicted to it.
I don’t really care that much about if I want to be more successful or less successful in art, because I never think life and art should be separate. What’s life if you don’t have conversation and joy and anger?
Overturning police cars is a super-intense workout. It’s probably the only sport I enjoy.
I loved New York–every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong–visually and intellectually. It was like a monster.
When I checked into a hospital [in Germany, after having been beaten by police in Sichuan], I was told there was bleeding in my brain and I was near total 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.
On the contributions sent by Chinese citizens toward paying the tax bill levied by the government: There were thousands of moving messages. People sent money from their first month’s salary. Others said: This is my retirement payment–take it. This is the money for my next pair of shoes–take it. it was very important for me to see and hear those things. Normally you do not see the warmth, humor, care and generosity of the people while writing a blog. You just feel like are walking in a dark tunnel and you feel alone.
Nothing can silence me as long as I am alive. I don’t give any kind of excuse. If I cannot come out [of China] or I cannot go in [to China] this is not going to change my belief. But when I am there, I am in this condition: I see it, I see people who need help. Then you know, I just want to offer my possibility to help them.
Weiwei-isms, by Ai Weiwei, edited by Larry Warsh
