Ghosts of Goods: Experiencing Nineteenth-Century Consumption through XR

By Ersin Altin

"As a key crossroads for trade and diplomacy, Istanbul was one of the most significant political and cultural centers of the nineteenth century. Consumption in the city, as elsewhere, was never merely a simple exchange of goods but involved a complex interplay of actors, spaces, and objects operating across multiple scales and time periods. Yet the history of consumption in Istanbul has often been framed through the concept of “Westernization,” largely because of the imported goods offered to customers. Such interpretations obscure the local practices and social dynamics embedded in consumer culture. Department stores such as Bon Marché, Stein, and Baker were not only commercial venues but also spaces where diverse social interactions unfolded.

Examining these practices offers new insights into space and material culture while contributing to broader efforts to decenter Western-centric art and design historical narratives that privilege industrialization and mass consumption.
Within this framework, this project recreates historical retail environments and interactions with objects through extended reality (XR) using a digital platform developed collaboratively with an interdisciplinary research team. Integrating historical evidence with narrative frameworks, the platform allows users to explore relationships between objects, architecture, and urban space.

As a prototype, the project focuses on Baker Department Store, one of Istanbul’s longest-standing department stores. Although the original building no longer survives, the current structure on the site—dating from 1969—extends across the former store and adjacent plots. The project develops a historically informed three-dimensional model of the store’s exterior and reconstructs its interior and the goods once sold there. The exhibition presents the platform’s implementation and pedagogical potential while inviting audiences to engage with the long-vanished consumption practices of nineteenth-century Istanbul and the stories associated with them."