Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
No outdoor sports can be more elegant than throwing stones at autocracy; no melees can be more exciting than those in cyberspace.
Behind every political deal in this country, the first casualties are always the ordinary people, who are barely treated as human.
The tragic reality of today is reflected in the true plight of our spiritual existence. We are spineless and cannot stand straight.
Only with the Internet can a peasant I have never met hear my voice and I can learn what's on his mind. A fairy tale has come true.
I'm always very interested in breeding. Raising cacti is breeding. My lotus plant collection is breeding. The insects are breeding.
I don't think I was very structured in that society and I don't really believe in personal success, which most Americans believe in.
I don't think it's an unnatural thing at all for my collaborations or projects to be seen as art but entertainment at the same time.
Warhol influenced me because of his writing. If I had never read his writings and interviews, I would never have understood his work.
As a total activity - I practice curating, art, architecture, writing, and publishing all together. I still act as a living creature.
...photographs are facts, but not necessarily true... The present always surpasses the past, and the future will not care about today.
I think "punk" should really be defined as paving your own way creatively and by defying any sort of orthodoxy or commercial pressure.
I think 'punk' should really be defined as paving your own way creatively and by defying any sort of orthodoxy or commercial pressure.
I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.
To call yourself a Chinese artist or woman artist or African artist reflects a certain kind of condition. To me, that is not necessary.
China is at a different stage of development, human rights are violated here much more often. And still, we see improvements even here.
Even if I have hundreds of things to do, the disconnected feeling is still there because it is very hard to find a real purpose of life.
These are nonviolent people who have lost their freedom simply because they expressed their ideas….In truth, they are heroes of our time.
So-called Chinese art and culture is under control of the Party. They exist to serve the official agenda. I call it fake art and culture.
If the idea that my safety can only be enhanced by putting other people's privacy and safety in danger, then I don't want to be more safe.
I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.
For children of my generation, anime was an escape from Japan's loser complex following World War II. Anime wasn't foreign. It was our own.
I saw [Allen Ginsberg] more as an old man who liked poetry and who had a lot of physical and emotional problems. We liked our time together.
A lot of the time [in the U.S.], I was thinking about how spending time is always questionable or is always the biggest obstacle in my life.
If you just turn to your paper or television each day, there are thousands of stories that are much more shocking than the gallery artworks.
I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets of judgment.
It's always nice to share your energy with young people, the people who might not have any skills but are simply willing to be a part of it.
I'm a free man now, except I cannot leave China. You know, I have no desire to travel. I have so many things to do; I cannot finish them now.
My situation gives me certain ideas about beauty or the excitement of life, but that doesn't mean other people can necessarily appreciate it.
I want to be proud of this country, but when aspects of our policy don't align with my ethics, I want to protest them and try to change them.
Art is not always meant to be decorative or soothing, in fact, it can create uncomfortable conversations and stimulate uncomfortable emotions.
I wear some of my stuff, but usually the less in-your-face designs. I get a little self conscious, there is a fine line between pride and ego.
One of the reasons I started my clothing line was because I went into an Urban Outfitters, and they were bootlegging my star logo on T-shirts.
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?
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.
Many people are going to use [Beijing National Stadium], which makes it more meaningful. If we don't design it, somebody else has to design it.
In Japan, I am famous in certain special circles - mainly as someone who is trying to break down and enlighten the conventions of Japanese art.
Growing up, my family was an enemy of the state. I have experienced more disappointment than joy, much more sad stories or desperate conditions.
I have people working together, doing different things: architecture, art installation, photography, publishing, and curatorial works and design.
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.
I don't personally feel any association with a kind of culture related to state, or culture related to power, which I think is always disgusting.
I've been immersed in manga since I was a kid. I grew up with this culture. So I started to think about how to compare manga to contemporary art.
I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.
The society was so different [in China] - it was a feudalistic society. It didn't come to a point of industrial revolution until twenty years ago.
The way I make art, the way a lot of people make art, is as an extension of language and communication, where references are incredibly important.
I think the biggest thing that people fear when it comes to art becoming a business is those authentic, pure aspirations of art being compromised.
This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the quality of their lives.
Hopefully, other successes aren't like me. It carries much more meaning to other people; my success story is irrelevant. It doesn't make any sense.
To give a price to an artwork, no matter how high or low, is always absurd. It's not something that can be measured by money or by certain numbers.
Everyone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it's not a product; it's an understanding of human nature.
The way I make art - the way a lot of people make art - is as an extension of language and communication, where references are incredibly important.