Why was Ai Weiwei’s Beijing studio demolished in 2018?

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Chinese activist and artist Ai Weiwei in 2019, facing the camera and wearing a black zip-up jacket. — Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei, 2019.

In 2018, the Beijing studio of Ai Weiwei was demolished as part of a broader redevelopment scheme affecting various art districts in China.1

While Ai was aware that his space in the ZuoYou (Left Right) Art District was slated to be razed, the clearing of the site occurred without warning, resulting in damage to some of his artworks. Ai stated that he did not view this surprise destruction as an act of political retaliation directed specifically at him; rather, he characterized the event as an example of the Chinese government’s discriminatory practices against artists and individuals who exercise their right to free expression.1