CNN199: 35 Years of Rebellion, Rhythm, and Radiance

Brussels doesn’t shout its revolutions — it paints them. Beneath the city’s ornate façades and polished EU corridors runs another rhythm: raw, urban, and gloriously alive. This autumn, that pulse takes over Espace Vanderborght as CNN199, the legendary Brussels graffiti collective, celebrates 35 years with TROIS CENT SOIXANTE — an exhibition that feels less like a retrospective and more like a reawakening.

From October 16 to November 16, 2025, the crew that once tagged trains and tunnels under the cover of night returns to the heart of the city — this time with large-scale frescos, canvases, and digital works. What began as a defiant act of expression now fills a luminous space with the same urgency, the same autonomy. CNN199 isn’t interested in nostalgia. Their art still claims space, still speaks for those who live between worlds — from Tokyo to Tulum, Copenhagen to Cape Town. This is about culture as movement, about freedom as texture.

Back in 1989, their names were whispers in alleyways, signals for those who knew how to read the streets. Today, CNN199 stands as a bridge between underground energy and institutional recognition — without ever selling out. Each member, from AMINE BRUSH naar VENENO, works like a musician in a collective jam: improvising, clashing, creating harmony from chaos. TROIS CENT SOIXANTE captures that spirit — graffiti not as vandalism, but as vision, persistence, and reinvention.

L’amour est Religion — Love is Religion — Lhob huwa Diin.

There’s sensuality in their strokes — textures that beg to be touched, gestures that blur boundaries. The exhibition goes beyond the gallery walls, spilling into performances, workshops, and talks that invite the public to engage, not just observe. And in 2026, a companion art book — part archive, part manifesto — will crystallize CNN199’s journey in print.

Because what makes this moment special isn’t nostalgia; it’s relevance. In a world of polished feeds and algorithmic beauty, CNN199 reminds us where real style begins: at street level, in the mess and movement of everyday life. Their work is a lesson in how to exist authentically — to leave a mark, to take up space, to rewrite the city in your own language.For Brussels — for anyone who moves through its in-between spaces — TROIS CENT SOIXANTE is more than an exhibition. It’s a mirror. It shows that rebellion can be refined, that freedom can be elegant, and that the truest luxury isn’t bought — it’s lived.

CNN199 – TROIS CENT SOIXANTE
October 16 – November 16, 2025
Espace Vanderborght, Rue de l’Ecuyer 50, Brussels
More info: cnn360.org