A Journey into the World of Osman Hamdi Bey

The Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum is bringing to life one of the most recognized works of Turkish painting, Osman Hamdi Bey's "Turtle Trainer" through a virtual reality project. Implemented on the 15th anniversary of the work's entry into the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Orientalist Painting Collection, the project carries the title "Journey into the World of Osman Hamdi Bey: Virtual Reality Experience". In the VR application, enriched with information and documents compiled from various archives and collections, viewers can visit the artist's studio, and encounter many important elements ranging from the artist's personal belongings to the music of the period. Pera Museum is reuniting art lovers with Osman Hamdi Bey's "Turtle Trainer" once again, this time on a different platform. The project titled "Journey into the World of Osman Hamdi Bey: Virtual Reality Experience", realized by Muse VR, allows this rare work to be experienced in Osman Hamdi Bey's studio in the early months of 1906. This experience, enriched with works from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation's "Orientalist Painting", "Anatolian Weights and Measures" and "Kütahya Ceramics and Pottery" collections and woven with details reflecting the characteristic features of the period, transports art lovers to Osman Hamdi Bey's studio. Viewers have the opportunity to examine many details closely, from the books on the artist's work table to his paintings, from his glasses and brushes to photographs, while also being able to enter into the Turtle Trainer painting itself.

Making the Museum Experience More Personal and Interactive with Virtual Reality

Özalp Birol, General Director of Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Culture and Arts Operations, noting that rapid technological progress has transformed social life and this transformation has brought about changes in how the museum concept is perceived, emphasizes that they have designed a new experience for art lovers through this project and have taken the museum experience beyond the physical space. Özalp Birol stated, "With the virtual reality experience, we make the museum experience more personal and interactive, offering our visitors a richer experience. This project provides insight into the "Turtle Trainer" painting by Osman Hamdi Bey, one of the rare works of Turkish painting that we added to our collection 15 years ago, his daily life and work environment". This extraordinary experience awaits art lovers in the special section dedicated to Osman Hamdi Bey in the Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül Gallery. "Journey into the World of Osman Hamdi Bey: Virtual Reality Experience" is offered free of charge to Pera Museum visitors. The VR experience can be visited Monday to Thursday 11:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 19:00, Fridays 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 21:00, and weekends 11:00 – 17:00.