A sculpture park in California’s Mojave Desert founded by a Chinese dissident artist has caught in flames—for the second time in three years—sparking suspicion on whether the latest incident was a continuation of the previous fire and a warning to artists who oppose the Chinese communist regime.

The fire broke out on August 20 at Liberty Sculpture Park, according to a post on X by the U.S.-based artist Chen Weiming, who runs the sculpture park and serves as its lead artist.

Gone in the flames are two cars, all computer facilities, surveillance and security equipment, computer hard drives containing files and information about the sculpture park, photography equipment, and an electric gate equipped with Starlink, Chen said in text messages to Artnet News. He estimated that the loss could amount to more than $100,000.

Liberty Sculpture Park in Mojave Desert, California, after the fire on August 20, 2024. Courtesy of artist Chen Weiming.

Chen said the police arrived just in time and investigators have also begun probing the cause of the fire, but he did not know when he would receive those results.

It was not the first time the sculpture park was on fire. “I personally feel that the fire this time is a continuation of the previous incident. It was to give those of us who pursue the values of democracy a warning,” Chen said. “But of course, this is still under investigation.”

In 2021, a three-story sculpture depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s head in the form of a gigantic coronavirus molecule was burnt to the ground mysteriously just days after it was installed. Security cameras around the site were found disconnected.

The sculpture, which was accompanied with a sign that read “CCP Virus,” was a blatant criticism against Xi and insinuating that the Chinese Communist Party was responsible for the Covid pandemic. During the pandemic, China was cut off from the rest of the world under the zero-Covid policy for almost three years. Big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing suffered huge losses.

Liberty Sculpture Park in Mojave Desert, California, after the fire on August 20, 2024. Courtesy of artist Chen Weiming.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice charged five people with “stalking, harassing, and spying on U.S. residents on behalf of the [People’s Republic of China’s] secret police.” These included three individuals who were found to have been paid more than $3 million by Chinese security services to spy on dissidents. All five were indicted in July 2022 for “crimes related to transnational repression scheme to silence critics of the People’s Republic of China” residing in the U.S.

“I guess this is the price you have to pay if you fight against the Chinese Communist Party and pursue democracy. But no matter what, I will not back down. We will continue to reveal [the deeds] of the Chinese Communist Party and promote freedom and democracy by creating more sculptures,” Chen noted.

Liberty Sculpture Park was founded by Chen in 2018 with the aim of showcasing art that advocates for democracy and human rights, according to its website. It houses key works by Chen, including his sculptures Tank Man and 64 Monument, as well as those by other artists.

On Monday, a group of volunteers visited the sculpture park and helped clean up the site after the fire. They held a demonstration and vowed to continue with their work despite the potential threats.

Is Chen worried about his personal safety? “I have already left my life in god’s hands,” he said.