Ai Weiwei [Weiwei - Humanity

Humanity

Humanity

Ai Weiwei

Edited and with an introduction by Larry Warsh

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

Princeton & Oxford

Copyright 2018 by Ai Weiwei

Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to Permissions, Princeton University Press

Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540

In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TR

press.princeton.edu

All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-0-691-18152-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017964480

British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Cover design by Pamela Lewis Schnitter

Typeset by Jeff Wincapaw

This book has been composed in Joanna MT

Printed on acid-free paper.

Printed in the United States of America

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What is our human obligation? This is a pressing question, now more than ever. Thousands of people are displaced every day, and too few people are turning their attention to this crisis. As a child of refugees, I easily see that history is repeating itself. In the current refugee crisis the same stories my parents told of their property being seized, their possessions stolen and destroyed, and their loved ones forcibly uprooted are reemerging. The tragedies they endured are faced by millions of people around the globe at this very moment.

Ai Weiwei, a former refugee himself, shares this sentiment and is helping to keep the collective voice of the refugees at the forefront of art and politics. Humanity illustrates Ai Weiweis thinking on a journey through twenty-three countries confronting and documenting the realities of the current global refugee crisis. Selected from a variety of sources, including interviews, magazine features, and podcasts from numerous countries, these quotations reflect the diversity within Ai Weiweis voice. As he speaks to a range of audiences, his words are expressed through many tones to illustrate the complexity of the crisis. Above all, he brings awareness to these human rights issues in light of an atmosphere of indifference in which those with the power to act have failed to do so. He calls not only on governments and authorities, but on individuals. No action is too small and no action is too late.

This appeal comes at an urgent moment. As 2018 begins, over sixty-five million people have been displaced worldwide, with many countries adopting truly disheartening exclusionary policies in response. Ai Weiweis unwavering focus on this humanitarian crisis reflects the hope that art joined with political dialogue can lead to greater consciousness, support, and healing among human beings.

I stand with Ai Weiwei and his belief that every human being deserves the same aspirations: to make the most of the lives we are given, to infuse our world with meaning and sensitivity, and to confront the obstacles facing us. To fulfill these aspirations, we are called upon to use our own individual power to aid those whose power has been stripped from them. We must resist complacency and indifference, and strive to bring immediate and sustained attention to this crisis on a global scale. It is our collective responsibility to inspire the world with freedom, empowerment, creative expression, and determination. This is our obligation.

LARRY WARSH

Humanity

My conclusion is we are one humanity.

If anyone is being hurt, we are all being hurt. If anyone has joy, thats our joy. ()

A refugee could be anybody. It could be you or me. The so-called refugee crisis is a human crisis. ()

Being part of humanity is hard for us to understand. If you are a tree, its hard to understand the forest. ()

How we look at other people very often tells us about ourselves. I think thats an honest reflection of the nature of human beings. ()

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I want to show the refugees beauty. I want to show that even under the most difficult circumstances, the beauty is still there. The beautiful and the dark exist in the same picture. ()

I have great sympathy for people who fear migrants, for their lack of knowledge, and as a result, their lack of understanding of humanity. ()

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Humans do not rule the universe. We are temporary passengers. ()

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I cannot give all the refugees food, tea, or money, but I can let their voices be heard and recognized. I can give them a platform to be acknowledged, to testify that they are human beings. ()

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As an artist, I have to relate to humanitys struggles. I never separate that from my art. ()

Humanity is losing its vision and courage. ()

I think the refugee crisis is a global crisis, its a human crisis. We cannot just say its a refugee crisis. Its not regional, its not just happening in the Middle East. It also happens in Africa, in Bangladesh, in many, many other locations. ()

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You begin to understand that we all have the same basic needs, that our sense of humanity and integrity, our desire for warmth and safety, to be well-treated and respected, are the same. ()

I was not born an artist, I was born a human. I care about human conditions, rather than the opinions of others. I dont have a choice. ()

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Drones are fascinatingthey offer a point of view which is not the human point of view. Its from either a bird, or from God. Looking at a human this way can be so indifferent. And it shows the flow of refugees as some part of the natureits like water flowing, or ice melting. I like that kind of metaphor, because we very often talk about how different and how foreign those people are. ()

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Human rights always need to be defended everywhere, and by doing that, we benefit everybody. ()