An artist collective that works cooperatively with the community and its network in managing a house that is used as a work presentation space, work studio, learning class, playroom and residence. Formed in 2002, the community is based on the development of photography and contemporary art that intersects with other disciplines in a critical and contextual manner for the realization of an open, creative and independent society.

In 1995 it was a community of photography students in the Faculty of Recording Media, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, who were more interested in visual art than photography scene in Yogyakarta. They lived in same house (we call it kamar kos, it is a rent bedroom for student from other city who live and study in Yogyakarta ) that used to be a dormitory for Indonesian Air Force.

During that time, there were only two Air Force ‘s officer who lived in the area of the house but the sign MESS AURI (air force dorm) still hang on the entrance) that’s why our friends called us in the community as Mes boys.

There was a living room surrounded by bedrooms that were rented by first generation of Mes community members, that later on we used as our gallery space and call it Ruang Mes, and 56 was from the address number.

The first community exhibition was LANGKAH in 1997, participated by eight of the first generation members, there were some experimental works and approached in image making appear to public in this exhibition, following the appearance of Fotografi Ekspressi in campus, taught by one of the lecturer from Fine Arts department where we could experiment as as crazy as we can, and become the most favorite course for this community in the late 90’s.