The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications

Murat Toğay; Huriye Çelikcan

doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1832157

EN TR

The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications

Abstract

This study investigates how virtual reality (VR) transforms the experience of analyzing artworks in art education. The research was conducted with 20 first-year students enrolled in the Visual Arts Education program at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University. Participants examined three paintings—Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, and Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom in Arles—first through traditional two-dimensional digital images and then through researcher-designed three-dimensional VR environments. Semi-structured interviews were administered following both sessions, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that VR provides a more immersive and sensorially rich environment, strengthening students’ perceptions of color, texture, spatial composition, and emotional atmosphere. VR facilitated a sense of “being inside the artwork,” which enhanced aesthetic engagement and interpretive depth. However, some participants reported that traditional two-dimensional presentations allowed for more controlled analytical observation and easier note-taking. These results suggest that VR serves as a powerful experiential learning tool that can enrich visual and emotional dimensions of artwork interpretation, yet it is most effective when used as a complementary method alongside traditional instructional approaches. Integrating VR into art education curricula may expand students’ opportunities for embodied and affective engagement with art, particularly when applied within hybrid pedagogical models.

Keywords

virtual reality, art education, artwork analysis, experiential learning, aesthetic perception

Sanal gerçeklik uygulamalarında eser incelemenin deneyimsel algı ve yorum derinliği üzerine etkileri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, sanal gerçeklik (SG) uygulamalarının sanat eğitimi bağlamında eser inceleme deneyimini nasıl dönüştürdüğünü araştırmaktadır. Ankara Müzik ve Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Görsel Sanatlar Eğitimi bölümünde öğrenim gören 20 birinci sınıf öğrencisiyle yürütülen nitel (fenomenolojik) çalışmada, katılımcılara Leonardo da Vinci’nin Mona Lisa, Edvard Munch’un Çığlık ve Van Gogh’un Arles’teki Yatak Odası eserleri hem geleneksel iki boyutlu görsellerle hem de araştırmacı tarafından oluşturulan üç boyutlu SG replikalarıyla sunulmuştur. Her iki deneyim sonrası yapılandırılmış görüşmeler uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler tematik analizle çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, katılımcıların önemli bir bölümünün (çalışmada raporlandığı üzere) SG ortamının mekânsal farkındalık, duygusal yoğunluk ve yorum derinliğini artırdığını; bazı katılımcıların ise geleneksel yöntemin detay analizi açısından avantajlı olduğunu belirttiğini göstermektedir. Öne çıkan temalar renk/kompozisyon algısı, mekânsal farkındalık, duygusal deneyim ve yöntem tercihleri olarak tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma, SG’nin deneyimsel öğrenme (Kolb) döngüsünü desteklediğini ve sanat eğitimi programlarında deneyimsel bir araç olarak entegrasyon potansiyeline sahip olduğunu önermektedir.

Keywords

sanal gerçeklik, sanat eğitimi, eser inceleme, deneyimsel öğrenme, tematik analiz

Ethical Statement

Ethics Approval Document (Murat TOGAY)_1.pdf ANKARA UNIVERSITY OF MUSIC AND FINE ARTS – ETHICS COMMITTEE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVAL CERTIFICATE RESEARCH TITLE: “The Effect of Virtual Reality Applications on Artwork Critique Skills in Art Education” RESEARCH METHOD: Survey Interview RESPONSIBLE RESEARCHER(S): (Title, Name Surname) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevinç KÖSEOĞLU ULUBATLI Murat TOGAY DECISION: It was unanimously decided that the research meets the requirements for receiving an Ethics Approval Certificate. DATE: 09.02.2024ETHICS COMMITTEE – SIGNATURES Prof. Dr. Okan Murat ÖZTÜRK (Chair) Prof. Kâzım ÇOKOĞULLU (Vice Chair) Prof. Dr. Ahmet FEYZİ (Member) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aybige DEMİRCİ ŞENKAL (Member) – Did not attend. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gamze YAVUZ KONOKMAN (Member) Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlker Deniz BAŞUĞUR (Member) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet SÖYLEMEZ (Member) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru ÇATALKAYA GÖK (Member) Dr. Lecturer Ali KALKAN (Member)It was unanimously decided on 09.02.2024 by the Ethics Committee of Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts that the research meets the requirements for obtaining the Ethics Approval Certificate.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sociology (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Murat Toğay This is me
0009-0005-3458-1469
Türkiye

Huriye Çelikcan ^*
0000-0002-8725-4251
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

January 3, 2026

Publication Date

January 7, 2026

Submission Date

November 28, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 26, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 23 Number: 2026

DOI

https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1832157

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA47HW52DR

APA

Toğay, M., & Çelikcan, H. (2026). The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 23(2026), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1832157

AMA

1.Toğay M, Çelikcan H. The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications. OPUS JSR. 2026;23(2026):1-12. doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1832157

Chicago

Toğay, Murat, and Huriye Çelikcan. 2026. “The Impact of Artwork Analysis on Experiential Perception and Interpretive Depth in Virtual Reality Applications”. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23 (2026): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1832157.

EndNote

Toğay M, Çelikcan H (January 1, 2026) The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23 2026 1–12.

IEEE

[1]M. Toğay and H. Çelikcan, “The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications”, OPUS JSR, vol. 23, no. 2026, pp. 1–12, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.26466/opusjsr.1832157.

ISNAD

Toğay, Murat - Çelikcan, Huriye. “The Impact of Artwork Analysis on Experiential Perception and Interpretive Depth in Virtual Reality Applications”. OPUS Journal of Society Research 23/2026 (January 1, 2026): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1832157.

JAMA

1.Toğay M, Çelikcan H. The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications. OPUS JSR. 2026;23:1–12.

MLA

Toğay, Murat, and Huriye Çelikcan. “The Impact of Artwork Analysis on Experiential Perception and Interpretive Depth in Virtual Reality Applications”. OPUS Journal of Society Research, vol. 23, no. 2026, Jan. 2026, pp. 1-12, doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1832157.

Vancouver

1.Murat Toğay, Huriye Çelikcan. The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications. OPUS JSR. 2026 Jan. 1;23(2026):1-12. doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1832157

The impact of artwork analysis on experiential perception and interpretive depth in virtual reality applications

Abstract

Keywords

Sanal gerçeklik uygulamalarında eser incelemenin deneyimsel algı ve yorum derinliği üzerine etkileri

Abstract

Keywords

Ethical Statement

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Early Pub Date

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite