AMSTERDAM.- Foam Magazine announces that world-renowned Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei will be the guest editor for the magazine’s next issue released in December 2015. The issue will be entirely dedicated to the theme ‘Freedom of Expression under Surveillance’. Ai Weiwei himself will be the central point of the magazine as an artist under constant surveillance by the Chinese government. The issue will contain various projects by Ai Weiwei, all related to this important topic. Besides projects that focus on capturing Ai Weiwei’s private life, for instance by using Instagram and webcams, this issue also pays attention to Ai Weiwei’s constant endeavour to keep a sharp eye on the ones surveilling him. Various projects, in which Ai Weiwei is working with classical objects of art by means of surveillance, will be included.

Freedom of Expression under Surveillance
In general this issue of Foam Magazine will approach the theme ‘Freedom of Expression under Surveillance’ from two angles: the inside and the outside. From the inside, the individual or the artist will be examined regarding the following themes: Social life, Associates, Politics, Artworks and their development. From the outside, we explore the external response to the individual or artist under the following themes: Confrontation, Surveillance, Exclusion and Dissidence authority.

For one of the chapters of the issue Foam Magazine made use of the endless stream of images posted on Instagram by Ai Weiwei. It will be the first time a publication pays attention to this intrinsic and important part of Ai Weiwei’s life.

Ai Weiwei (born 1957, Beijing) is an influential Chinese contemporary artist and activist. As a political activist, he has been openly criticizing the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. In 2011, following his arrest at Beijing Capital International Airport he was held for 81 days without any official charges being filed. Among art works by Ai Weiwei are Fairytale (2007), produced for Documenta 12, and Sunflower Seeds, an installation in London’s Tate Modern in 2010. On the 18th of September a major solo exhibition of his work will open at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.