Affinity and Allusion

Dineo Seshee Bopape / James N Hutchinson / Alexandra Laudo / Tessa Lynch / Catherine Payton / Klaus Weber

Collective—a new centre for contemporary art, which repurposes Edinburgh’s City Observatory—announces details of Affinity and Allusion, an exhibition that marks the end of a two-year renovation project.

Collective is a new kind of city observatory. Programmes and commissions provoke engagement with contemporary art through the acts of looking, thinking and producing collectively; and bringing ideas, research and artistic practice in confluence with the complex history of this observatory site. Collective supports experimental, interdisciplinary and international artists as well delivering peer led development programmes for artists based in Scotland.

Featuring all new commissions spanning sculpture, installation, performance, audio and text, Affinity and Allusion will be presented across all of Collective’s new exhibition spaces, grounds and buildings. All the artists brought together work between specialisms – all creating work which fundamentally asks us to question how we view the world around us.

The title of Affinity and Allusion reflects Collective’s approach, working with artists to identify points of mutual interest to consider under-represented narratives found on Calton Hill and its surrounding panorama. New works include:

〰️ [when spirituality was a baby] by artist Dineo Seshee Bopape is a new installation, which draws on the rich history of the Observatory on Calton Hill to consider notions of cosmology, astronomy and astrology; and has been realised with guest curator Osei Bonsu. 

Fagman by artist Klaus Weber is a maquette for a monument for contemporary Edinburgh, made as part of his Nonuments series. 

Rumours of a New Planet is a research project by Glasgow-based artist James N Hutchinson, who has investigated the life, work and travels of historical figures connected to Calton Hill.

Alexandra Laudo, working as Researcher in Residence at Collective, will draw on her project An intellectual history of the clock to explore the history of astronomy, time keeping, navigation and literature in Edinburgh.

Tessa Lynch has collaborated with landscape architects Harrison Stevens to develop communal seating and play structures for the grounds of Collective, inspired by the 1970’s concrete play sculptures of nearby Craigmillar and the changing shape of a camera lens.

A new project in our Observer’s Walk audio guide series is Time Capsule by artist Catherine Payton made with pupils from local schools. The year is 2168, Edinburgh is flooded, pupils of Calton Hill Island School describe their lives; including what they eat, learn, worship, play and how they defend themselves against other islands. 

Collective thanks Baillie Gifford investment managers, The Elephant Trust and The Royal Overseas League through a residency at Hospitalfield for their support of Affinity and Allusion.

Funders and partners of the redevelopment project include City of Edinburgh Council, Creative Scotland, Heritage Lottery Fund, Edinburgh World Heritage, William Grant Foundation, WREN, The Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK, Pilgrim Trust Architectural Heritage Fund, Hope Scott Trust, Idlewild Trust Craignish Trust. Collective is grateful for the support of many other trusts, foundations, and private donors who donated to the development.