Voiceover this is bbc news. We will have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. As an art critic and ajournalist, ifeel like a very lucky man indeed, because i get to spend tonnes of time inside museums, places ive loved ever since i was a boy. And during my working life, ive witnessed something astonishing how radically theyve changed. The days of museums as grand, intimidating treasuries for dusty objects are long gone. Theyre becoming much more dynamic and inclusive places less solemn, less elitist, and less west centric too. Museums, i believe, are really having a moment, and thats what i want to explore. This is amazing. So this is his studio. I can walk around, can i . He was painting the orient within the orient. When you see my work, you can easily link the concepts, lets say, or the technique, anything from them, as inspiring. I think thats rather wonderful. Im in istanbul, that great, entrancing, ancient megalopolis, once the cap
of cultural exchange between east and west. i m starting at the pera museum, once an exclusive hotel in the heart of istanbul s diplomatic district. i can t think of anywhere else quite like it, a unique, privately run museum, with a collection exploring the relationship between east and west a centuries long exchange that culminated in a controversial art movement known as orientalism. i m here, though, to find out how people in turkey feel about orientalism today. for art historians, orientalism is quite a specific concept that draws upon the argument of this very famous book published in 1978 by the intellectual edward said. and it refers to a period, principally during the 19th century, when western artists relished depicting subjects from the near east, including turkey. to make their compositions convincing, these artists, who sometimes didn t even travel outside europe, stuffed them full of supposedly authentic details. yet often, they ended up painting these opulent
Museums, i believe, are really having a moment, and thats what i want to explore. This is amazing. So this is his studio. I can walk around, can i . He was painting the orient within the orient. When you see my work, you can easily link the concepts, lets say, or the technique, anything from them, as inspiring. I think thats rather wonderful. Im in istanbul, that great, entrancing, ancient megalopolis, once the capital of the byzantine and ottoman empires. Lying on either side of the bosporus strait, its a city that straddles two continents, europe and asia, so it feels like the Perfect Place to discover for myself the long, still evolving story of Cultural Exchange between east and west. Im starting at the pera museum, once an exclusive hotel in the heart of istanbuls diplomatic district. I cant think of anywhere else quite like it, a unique, privately run museum, with a collection exploring the relationship between east and west a centuries long exchange that culminated in a controve
museums, i believe, are really having a moment, and that s what i want to explore. this is amazing. so this is his studio. i can walk around, can i? he was painting the orient within the orient. when you see my work, you can easily link the concepts, let s say, or the technique, anything from them, as inspiring. i think that s rather wonderful. i m in istanbul, that great, entrancing, ancient megalopolis, once the capital of the byzantine and ottoman empires. lying on either side of the bosporus strait, it s a city that straddles two continents, europe and asia, so it feels like the perfect place to discover for myself the long, still evolving story of cultural exchange between east and west. i m starting at the pera museum, once an exclusive hotel in the heart of istanbul s diplomatic district. i can t think of anywhere else quite like it, a unique, privately run museum, with a collection exploring the relationship between east and west a centuries long exchange that culmi
yes. let s talk about the actual picture itself. what s going on? there s this figure associated with music who s really contemplating a group of tortoises at his feet. some people think that these tortoises are representing the bureaucracy, which is difficult to change, slowly changing bureaucracy of ottoman times. but this is painted for a european audience, and i don t expect they could understand the meaning. that s interesting you say that, because i ve certainly come across this interpretation where, if you look at the background, you can see all of this peeling off plaster. the brickwork is exposed. quite clearly, there are cobwebs running up the interior of the arch, and lots of people have thought ah, painted 1906 the very final years of the ottoman empire . and they ve put all of these things together and given a sort of subversive political reading to this painting. but i m sensing it s not one that you buy. chuckles no, i don t buy that. but i buy this. he wasn t a typic