An analysis of augmented reality applications in museums: The case of Kütahya Dumlupınar University Private Ahmet Yakupoğlu Museum

Digital transformation has paved the way for structural changes in the preservation and revitalization of cultural heritage, significantly enhancing the communication established by museums with their visitors through the exhibition techniques they have developed. These new approaches have gone beyond traditional exhibition concepts, allowing historical objects, cultural assets, and works of art to be re-contextualized through technological tools. In this framework, various digital exhibition techniques such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and holograms have enabled visitors to engage in interactive and multi-layered experiences that transcend mere physical interaction with the exhibition space. Augmented reality applications and artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools have transformed visitors from passive observers into active participants who can navigate content and actively engage in the process of acquiring knowledge. Along with this transformation, not only exhibition practices but also the educational role of museums has been redefined, turning museums from static archive spaces into dynamic, participatory, and innovative learning environments. However, it has been determined that the museum established in honor of Ahmet Yakupoğlu a versatile artist with a significant place in Turkish and international art history does not incorporate the above-mentioned exhibition techniques. This shortcoming has been identified as the core problem of the research, and an augmented reality-based museum application has been designed to address it. Within the scope of this study, museums and both traditional and contemporary digital exhibition tools were examined in detail. The historical development of augmented reality and artificial intelligence was explored, and AR practices currently implemented in 20 museums from Turkey and other countries were analyzed. In the experimental phase of the research grounded in literature review and document analysis five artworks displayed in the Ahmet Yakupoğlu Museum were adapted into an AI-supported augmented reality experience. Through this method, the museum was transformed from a purely physical exhibition space into a cognitive and emotional environment in which artworks can be experienced through technology. The application designed within the scope of this research demonstrates that, by leveraging technology widely used by young individuals, access to the museum can be extended to various target groups. Consequently, it is proposed that this application could be expanded to include other works in the museum.