MES 56

Two elephants live in front of Kraton, the sultan´s palace, and the sultan is now candidate for the next elections and wants to become president. Javanese dance, Gamelan music, Batik textil prints and Wayang shadow puppets are some of the traditions in Yogyakarta, or Jogja, but young contemporary artists make the city change its shape. Mushollas (mosques) in almost every corner announce the prayer five times a day, which is a constant background sound of the city, besides motorcycles, tokeks and little cicaks (small reptiles).

The arts scene here is vibrant, with a special sense about collective work and amazing creative. A number of collaborations within the arts take place: musicians work with visual artists, visual artists work with theatre companies, photographers become musicians or work for the music scene, actors work with visual artists, etc. 

Multitasking people are the boys in MES Lima Nam or MES56. Ruang MES56, a photographers collective self-founded and self-organised and the first contemporary photography gallery in Jogja, holds now multidisciplinary artists in their space. MES boys, a group of ten members, do from web design, to music, wedding and commercial photography to support the space, which functions as a gallery, a space to present work in progress, a place for discussion and a meeting point for the artistic scene, as the house becomes a place for chatting, creating work, use the internet connection, or just to hang out and drink some beers in the courtyard.

Music is linked to their work and netlabels and punk bands are present in the house. MES boys are open to all types of collaborations and experimentations with different types of media, not only photography. Community is always present in their work and they are very integrated with social and political issues within the city and within Indonesia´s historical background. A number of the art works are critical and political, but also with a subtle sense of humour.