Books by Ai Weiwei

Gennem sin fars og sin egen livshistorie fortæller kunstneren Ai Weiwei historien om Kina i de seneste 100 år. Ai Weiweis far, Ai Qing, som blev en berømt digter, faldt i unåde hos partiet under kulturrevolutionen og blev sendt i eksil. Ai Weiwei voksede derfor op i et barskt og øde område kaldet Lille Sibirien i det nordvestlige Kina, hvor faderen rengjorde de offentlige toiletter som strafarbejde. Her boede familien i 16 år. Da Mao døde, og kulturrevolutionen ophørte, kunne de tage tilbage til Beijing.I 1981 forlod Ai Weiwei sin familie i Kina, rejste til Amerika som en af de første kinesiske udvekslingsstuderende og blev en del af den amerikanske moderne kunstscene. I 1999 vendte han tilbage til Kina som internationalt kendt kunstner og politisk aktivist og dissident, hvilket i 2011 førte til en måneder lang hemmelig tilbageholdelse uden anklage. I dag bor han i Europa.1000 års glæder og sorger er en personlig, gribende historie om kontrol, erindring og det frie kunstneriske udtryk.

The quotable Ai WeiweiThis collection of quotes demonstrates the elegant simplicity of Ai Weiwei's thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. A master at communicating powerful ideas in astonishingly few words, Ai Weiwei is known for his innovative use of social media to disseminate his views. The short quotations presented here have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed Chinese artist and activist. The book is organized into six categories: freedom of expression; art and activism; government, power, and moral choices; the digital world; history, the historical moment, and the future; and personal reflections.Together, these quotes span some of the most revealing moments of Ai Weiwei's eventful career-from his risky investigation into student deaths in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to his arbitrary arrest in 2011-providing a window into the mind of one of the world's most electrifying and courageous contemporary artists.Select Quotes from the Book:On Freedom of Expression"e;Say what you need to say plainly, and then take responsibility for it."e;"e;A small act is worth a million thoughts."e;"e;Liberty is about our rights to question everything."e;On Art and Activism"e;Everything is art. Everything is politics."e;"e;The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay."e;"e;Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don't feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy."e;On Government, Power, and Making Moral Choice"e;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."e;"e;I feel powerless all the time, but I regain my energy by making a very small difference that won't cost me much."e;"e;Tips on surviving the regime: Respect yourself and speak for others. Do one small thing every day to prove the existence of justice."e;On the Digital World"e;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."e;"e;The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that."e;"e;The Internet is the best thing that could have happened to China."e;On History, the Historical Moment, and the Future"e;If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future."e;"e;We need to get out of the old language."e;"e;The world is a sphere, there is no East or West."e;Personal Reflection"e;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."e;"e;Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom."e;"e;Expressing oneself is like a drug. I'm so addicted to it."e;