New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
12 October 2010

Arts interview: Ai Weiwei

The Chinese artist responsible for this year’s Tate Modern Turbine Hall installation speaks to the

By John Sunyer

Did you always want to be an artist?
No. I decided to become an artist in the late 1970s to try to escape the totalitarian conditions in China. Everybody wants to be part of the big power, so there are lies and false accusations everywhere. For me, art is an escape from this system.

Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
Wayne Robertson: "The science is clear on the need for carbon capture"
An old Rioja, a simple Claret,and a Burgundy far too nice to put in risotto
Antimicrobial Resistance: Why urgent action is needed