Crossing SEA is a series of research-based exhibitions initiated by DECK. With the focus on Southeast Asia, Crossing SEA examines the development of contemporary photography across the region, mapping out the exploration in forms of exhibition and publication.
For the inaugural exhibition, photo historian and curator Dr Alexander Supartono discusses the institutionalisation of contemporary practice of photography in Indonesia through the collective and individual works of MES 56 and their compeers. The History of Boys: the MES 56 and Beyond maps out how MES 56’s concept and aesthetic practices has evolved and developed, marking their endurance in the national, regional and international art scene over the years. The exhibition will also feature Indonesian photographers who are around and beyond MES 56’s social and/or artistic habitus.