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ART

Aly has extensive experience as a photographer and videographer for galleries and art organisations. Skilled in capturing strong stills imagery for press and marketing, as well as a nuanced storytelling approach to promotional video.

CLIENTS

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VIDEO

Collective Observations - Dr Kirsten Carter McKee
15:28

Collective Observations - Dr Kirsten Carter McKee

Ideologies and Identities: Exploring the architecture of Calton Hill In this film Dr Kirsten Carter McKee explores the history of Collective’s home in the City Observatory, which is intertwined with the art, architecture, politics and society of both Edinburgh and Scotland and their placement within the wider British Empire. From the Observatory’s origins in 18th century and the desire to contrast wild Calton Hill with ‘picturesque’ architecture, to the playing out of Scotland’s Imperial aspirations, and as a focus for an emergent Scottish identity in the 20th century, the history of this unique place has continued to reflect both a local and global story. Revealing some of the many grand schemes for Calton Hill which were never realised, as well as exploring more recent artistic interventions and the arrival of Collective, Kirsten shows that, far from being a historical curiosity, the Hill continues to be an anchor in the landscape for the city and its people. Dr Kirsten Carter McKee is a specialist in urban history and heritage and teaches at Edinburgh University, where she gained her PhD in 2013. Her work has engaged with the development of imperial landscapes, and her book on Calton Hill and the Third new Town (Birlinn 2018) addresses this from the perspective of Scotland’s role in Imperial expansion between the 18th and 20th centuries. Her current research expands this discourse around imperial landscapes in our urban realm to consider how we can be more inclusive in our narrative of trans-Atlantic slave trade and Empire in Scotland’s interpretation of its built environment. Collective Observations Historically observations made from the City Observatory on Calton Hill, have re-shaped how we view and relate to the world around us. It is where astronomers observed and calculated accurate time, aiding ships docked in Leith to navigate and connecting Edinburgh to the world. It is also where the artist Robert Barker created the first panorama, expanding the pictorial field and horizon. As custodians of this site, Collective are inspired by the history of ingenuity but we understand that narrative of progress is incomplete and complicated. Collective Observations is a series of online commissions which explore these complications, re-question the dominant narratives of the past, and consider them anew in our current social and political landscape.
Collective Observations - Dr Matjaz Vidmar
18:33

Collective Observations - Dr Matjaz Vidmar

Placing an Observatory: Calton Hill and the Evolution of Science, Technology and Society In the third film in our Collective Observations series, Dr Matjaz Vidmar explores the astronomical origins of Collective’s home in the City Observatory site on Calton Hill. Matjaz begins from the premise that observatories are intensely political places, where power is derived from control of technology and knowledge. His short film charts the often-troubled course of development of astronomy in Edinburgh, from early attempts to establish an observatory on Calton Hill and the first telescopes installed by James and Thomas Short, to the activities of the Edinburgh Astronomical Society in the 20th century. Matjaz pays homage to pioneers of science in Scotland who have contributed to this story, particularly those women whose achievements are not monumentalised on the Hill, such as Mary Somerville, Wilhelmina Fleming, and Mary Bruck. He celebrates the Calton Hill observatory as a symbol of a city dedicated to collaborative science, albeit a practical failure and, in the shadow of the National Monument, an example of the political hegemony Edinburgh’s elites. Dr Matjaz Vidmar is a Lecturer in Engineering Management and is based in the Institute for Materials and Processes at the University of Edinburgh. His background is in physics and he is a specialist in astronomy, astronomical technology, space and satellite engineering, data processing and artificial intelligence. Matjaz is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the British Interplanetary Society. Collective Observations Historically observations made from the City Observatory on Calton Hill, have re-shaped how we view and relate to the world around us. It is where astronomers observed and calculated accurate time, aiding ships docked in Leith to navigate and connecting Edinburgh to the world. It is also where the artist Robert Barker created the first panorama, expanding the pictorial field and horizon. As custodians of this site, Collective are inspired by the history of ingenuity but we understand that narrative of progress is incomplete and complicated. Collective Observations is a series of online commissions which explore these complications, re-question the dominant narratives of the past, and consider them anew in our current social and political landscape.
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Sarah Cockburn | Head Of Brand & Campaigns | Edinburgh International Festival

"Aly is a brilliant photographer and videographer who is a dream to work with. Always full of creative ideas, but fully responsive to the client’s brief, he’ll go the extra mile to produce something of outstanding quality. He has great interpersonal skills immediately putting people at their ease whether or not they are experienced with the camera. I would not fail to recommend him. "

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