Day at the museum – CULTURATI in Istanbul

Touch TD are fortunate in being quite familiar with having the sensational backdrop of Istanbul as a project meeting scene. But as with all great cities there are always new layers to explore and surprise. This could not be truer than when we arrived for our latest CULTURATI project meet up, at the extraordinary industrial collection and archive that is Rahmi M. Koç Müzesi – with our first session located onboard one of the historic ships moored at the museum ⚓️

Expertly hosted by Director of the museum and source of much inspiration for the project, Mine Sofuoglu,  we spent a rewarding time sharing notes and exchanging further ideas. The focus of CULTURATI project, is to consider how artificial intelligence #AI can enhance the management of cultural heritage sites and enrich the visitor experience. Together with 14 partner organizations from Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy, and the UK, we convened under the expert coordination of Bilkent University and Dr. Eda Gurel – project coordinator.

At the core of our meeting were the pilot research activities for our AI-driven application designed for management at cultural heritage sites. Culturati technology in fact promises to enhance visitors’ experiences by offering personalised information, routes, content, gamification and content – sharing experiences, while helping you learning about the heritage destinations.

The setting at the museum was just perfect to allow for a melting pot of ideas with experts from different sectors, policymakers, and academics all contributing unique insights. Moving between spaces indoors and outdoors, and around the formal guided museum sets, then behind the scenes – to technical maintenance studios where few eyes see the incredible work that helps keep the vast collection in pristine working order.

Diversity is at the heart of our #HorizonEU #CulturatiEU project, driving us towards richer outcomes in #culturalheritage and #arts engagement. Rahmi Koc Museum even provided an opportunity for us to gather input from a feline perspective, and be shown around the #Meowseum by a talented resident cat guide 🐾

In Istanbul, we had the privilege to have a sneak peak of the first prototype of the application. We have still a lot of work to do, our journey doesn’t end here.  Touch TD are thrilled to support by coordinating the dissemination, exploitation, communication work package, and help in reaching the project goals.

Special thanks to the entire Bilkent University team for their flawless coordination, and to Mine Sofuoglu for hosting us in such an inspiring setting.

Find out much more as the project evolves:  www.culturati.eu

#CULTURATILikeMyWay
#Innovation #culture

Julie Scott, Jonathan Karkut, PhD