ADVERTISEMENT

Black-and-white faces. Eyes that have witnessed decades of prison life and streets ruled by shadow codes. Bodies inked with stars, spiders, cats and cathedrals - symbols of rank, loyalty and defiance.

A new city-wide exhibition exhibition in Brussels, Surrounded by Criminals, invites visitors into the hidden underworld of the Vory v Zakone, the post-Soviet “thieves in law” brotherhood who once controlled the criminal networks of Stalin-era gulags.

Behind the lens is Belgian artist and filmmaker Nicolas Wieërs, who spent several years in Moldova and Transnistria photographing these men. Earning their trust, he documented a little-known subculture defined by tattoos, hierarchy and survival. Once revered as “gods” of the Soviet underworld, many now live on society’s margins, trapped in cycles of poverty, addiction and crime.

A photo that forms part of the 'Surrounded by Criminals' exhibition Credit: Nicolas Wieërs

"I began to question whether there’s a kind of hypocrisy in society. Through their tattoos, I could explore our collective point of view on crime and punishment," he told Euronews Culture.

Through portraits, testimonies and an immersive setup of music, film and drawings, Wieërs examines their tragic yet fascinating lives - while confronting ideas of justice, morality and social hypocrisy. His work contrasts the visible, tattooed ex-prisoners with the invisible crimes of the powerful - from politicians to white-collar elites - shielded by wealth and influence.

Spanning six unique locations across Brussels, from tattoo studios to a renovated, former stock exchange building, the exhibition runs until 9 November 2025.

Euronews Culture sat down with the photographer a