Tolga Hepdinçler
Assoc. Prof. Tolga Hepdinçler is an academic and filmmaker specializing in photography, cinema, and visual culture. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies at Ankara University, with his PhD focusing on "Photography and Orientalism: Photographic Representation of the Ottoman in the 19th Century," finalized in 2006.
In 1998, his short documentary Müzikal Vaziyetler won second place at the Ankara Film Festival’s National Documentary Competition and was showcased at several international festivals. This early success highlighted his talent in documentary filmmaking.
From 1998 to 2009, Hepdinçler served as a research assistant at Ankara University's Faculty of Communication. Since 2010, he has been a faculty member at Bahçeşehir University's Faculty of Communication, currently holding the position of Vice Dean. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses on photography, cinema, and visual culture, covering fundamental, theoretical, and applied subjects.
Hepdinçler’s research interests encompass photography, cinema studies, visual culture, art theory, and memory studies. His extensive national and international publications reflect his expertise, with notable contributions such as co-editing the book Creative Industries in Turkey (2020), which examines Turkey's evolving creative sectors. His scholarly articles include Ambiguous Storytelling in Three Texts: Unsettling the Perception of Reality and The Family Photographs of Istanbul Memories and the City: A Constellation of the Past and the Future, both of which underscore his focus on visual culture and narrative analysis.
In addition to his academic responsibilities, Hepdinçler has provided training and consultancy to various institutions, further contributing to the discourse on visual culture and media studies both in Turkey and internationally.
In 1998, his short documentary Müzikal Vaziyetler won second place at the Ankara Film Festival’s National Documentary Competition and was showcased at several international festivals. This early success highlighted his talent in documentary filmmaking.
From 1998 to 2009, Hepdinçler served as a research assistant at Ankara University's Faculty of Communication. Since 2010, he has been a faculty member at Bahçeşehir University's Faculty of Communication, currently holding the position of Vice Dean. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses on photography, cinema, and visual culture, covering fundamental, theoretical, and applied subjects.
Hepdinçler’s research interests encompass photography, cinema studies, visual culture, art theory, and memory studies. His extensive national and international publications reflect his expertise, with notable contributions such as co-editing the book Creative Industries in Turkey (2020), which examines Turkey's evolving creative sectors. His scholarly articles include Ambiguous Storytelling in Three Texts: Unsettling the Perception of Reality and The Family Photographs of Istanbul Memories and the City: A Constellation of the Past and the Future, both of which underscore his focus on visual culture and narrative analysis.
In addition to his academic responsibilities, Hepdinçler has provided training and consultancy to various institutions, further contributing to the discourse on visual culture and media studies both in Turkey and internationally.
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Papers by Tolga Hepdinçler
Bu çalışmada manzara resminin ve sonrasında manzara fotoğrafında sanatçının çağdaş deneyim evrenlerini temsil etme sürecinde etkili olan dinamikleri sorgulamaktadır. Coğrafi bir kavram olan manzaranın temsile konu olan fiziksel varlığının geçirdiği dönüşümün modern ve modern sonrasındaki temsil deneyimleri ile örneklenmektedir. Manzaranın özellikle insan varlığı ile dolayısıyla kültürel olan ile buluştuğu örnekler analiz edilerek sanatçıların öznel ve toplumsal kimliklerinin inşa edildiği alan olarak değerlendirilmektedir.
Bu bağlamda çalışma, öncelikle doğal manzara ve kültürel manzara arasından ayrım yapmaktadır. Avrupa manzara resmi geleneğinden dönüşerek, modern ve modern sonrası sanatsal deneyimlerde kültürel manzara kavramının nasıl temsile konu olduğu çalışmanın temel çerçevesini oluşturmaktadır. Kültürün fiziksel manzara üzerindeki dönüştürücü etkisinin, temsil ile araçsallaşması özellikle 19 ve erken 20. Yüzyıl modern fotoğraf çalışmalarında, ardından 20. Yüzyıl ikinci yarısında biçimlenen çağdaş fotoğraf uygulamalarında izleri sürülmektedir.
Ottoman’s photographic representation is not only a fact that was constructed by West but also a fact that was constructed by the Ottoman itself within the local dynamics. In the context of these claims, the role of two photographic practices, massive and long-termed “Abdulhamid II Albums” and culturally oriented “Elbise-i Osmaniye Album”, were analyzed.
Talks by Tolga Hepdinçler
In this essay, the connection between literature and photographic image will be discussed in the terms of post-memory, optical unconsciousness, trauma and memory. Former works on German writer WG Sebald, who was the contemporary of Orhan Pamuk and has also used the photographic image in same sense and style, will be the reference Pamuk’s tendency on Photographic image. Also, This text aims to find out the traces of the relation between trauma and melancholy in Pamuk’s work via comprehension with Sebald’s apparent connection with trauma. "
In this text, I want to focus the films of these two contemporary directors in the context of famine-masculine relationship in the director’s character setting. Main goal of this text is represent to the masculine domination above women characters of the films and also represent the men’s’ gaze to feminine situations which formed by the directors as psychological strains.
Zeki Demirkubuz films, Innocence (Masumiyet, 1997), a film about a prostitute and her inevitable lover, The Third Page (Üçüncü Sayfa, 1999) a film about the story of a murder which planned by a woman and her lover, Confession (İtiraf, 2002) a film about a mid-class married couple and their fealty to their marriage, Waiting Room (Bekleme Odası, 2004), a film about a intellectual and her desperate relations with women, Destiny (Kader, 2006), is a film prequel to Masumiyet with nearly same character setting ; and Nuri Bilgi Ceylan’s films Three Monkeys (Üç Maymun,2008)) a film about fealty and crime, and Climates (İklimler, 2006) a film about intellectual mid-class couple and their relationship, will be analyzed to represent the masculine gaze which formed by author and which can be read as misogyny.
(including pre-colonial identities Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians etc.) have been the common subjects of these Albums. Ottoman’s cultural variety and the exotic oriental image of Ottoman subjects have influenced and built up Western intellectual interest which consist of traditional oriental gaze and experience.
19th century westernization process of Ottoman Empire has predicted a new Ottoman National Identity and the representation of Ottoman Identity by Costume Albums has been internalized likewise many western rooted intellectual experiences. Museum of Antique Costumes and Album of “Ottoman Antique Costumes” by Brindesi which were supported both by the palace, has been the examples of this
internalization process. Westernization Process has also affected newly formed intellectuals who have directly influenced Western traditions and habits. Many intellectuals of Ottoman Empire like Osman Hamdi Bey has been educated in Europe and they have been the dynamics of westernization process.
Connection between Costume Albums and Ottoman Intellectuals can easily be seen Costumes of Ottoman’s Album in which Osman Hamdi and his counterparts has represented their tendencies to new Ottoman Identity that had been idealized in multicultural diversity. The Album, which was edited in 1873, also shows, how an ottoman intellectual idealized his new idea of Ottoman identity by the possibilities of
photographic experience. Also, Individual works of Ottoman photographers like Abdullah Brothers, Vasil Kargapolou, Pascal Sebah and the cross-dressing experience of western photographers will analyzed as practices of Ottoman idealization of identity.
Books by Tolga Hepdinçler
This book proposes to define different aspects of the creative industry in Turkey , which have created surplus value with the contribution of innovative initiatives and technological developments in recent years. It concentrates on video games, cinema, animation, and creative activities that have gained economic and cultural importance in recent years. Also, it focuses on the unique cases of the core creative industries, such as new media. In more detail, it provides a critical and alternative approach to the production, distribution, and use of creative industry content beyond the overview of these industries.
Book Reviews by Tolga Hepdinçler
Bu çalışmada manzara resminin ve sonrasında manzara fotoğrafında sanatçının çağdaş deneyim evrenlerini temsil etme sürecinde etkili olan dinamikleri sorgulamaktadır. Coğrafi bir kavram olan manzaranın temsile konu olan fiziksel varlığının geçirdiği dönüşümün modern ve modern sonrasındaki temsil deneyimleri ile örneklenmektedir. Manzaranın özellikle insan varlığı ile dolayısıyla kültürel olan ile buluştuğu örnekler analiz edilerek sanatçıların öznel ve toplumsal kimliklerinin inşa edildiği alan olarak değerlendirilmektedir.
Bu bağlamda çalışma, öncelikle doğal manzara ve kültürel manzara arasından ayrım yapmaktadır. Avrupa manzara resmi geleneğinden dönüşerek, modern ve modern sonrası sanatsal deneyimlerde kültürel manzara kavramının nasıl temsile konu olduğu çalışmanın temel çerçevesini oluşturmaktadır. Kültürün fiziksel manzara üzerindeki dönüştürücü etkisinin, temsil ile araçsallaşması özellikle 19 ve erken 20. Yüzyıl modern fotoğraf çalışmalarında, ardından 20. Yüzyıl ikinci yarısında biçimlenen çağdaş fotoğraf uygulamalarında izleri sürülmektedir.
Ottoman’s photographic representation is not only a fact that was constructed by West but also a fact that was constructed by the Ottoman itself within the local dynamics. In the context of these claims, the role of two photographic practices, massive and long-termed “Abdulhamid II Albums” and culturally oriented “Elbise-i Osmaniye Album”, were analyzed.
In this essay, the connection between literature and photographic image will be discussed in the terms of post-memory, optical unconsciousness, trauma and memory. Former works on German writer WG Sebald, who was the contemporary of Orhan Pamuk and has also used the photographic image in same sense and style, will be the reference Pamuk’s tendency on Photographic image. Also, This text aims to find out the traces of the relation between trauma and melancholy in Pamuk’s work via comprehension with Sebald’s apparent connection with trauma. "
In this text, I want to focus the films of these two contemporary directors in the context of famine-masculine relationship in the director’s character setting. Main goal of this text is represent to the masculine domination above women characters of the films and also represent the men’s’ gaze to feminine situations which formed by the directors as psychological strains.
Zeki Demirkubuz films, Innocence (Masumiyet, 1997), a film about a prostitute and her inevitable lover, The Third Page (Üçüncü Sayfa, 1999) a film about the story of a murder which planned by a woman and her lover, Confession (İtiraf, 2002) a film about a mid-class married couple and their fealty to their marriage, Waiting Room (Bekleme Odası, 2004), a film about a intellectual and her desperate relations with women, Destiny (Kader, 2006), is a film prequel to Masumiyet with nearly same character setting ; and Nuri Bilgi Ceylan’s films Three Monkeys (Üç Maymun,2008)) a film about fealty and crime, and Climates (İklimler, 2006) a film about intellectual mid-class couple and their relationship, will be analyzed to represent the masculine gaze which formed by author and which can be read as misogyny.
(including pre-colonial identities Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians etc.) have been the common subjects of these Albums. Ottoman’s cultural variety and the exotic oriental image of Ottoman subjects have influenced and built up Western intellectual interest which consist of traditional oriental gaze and experience.
19th century westernization process of Ottoman Empire has predicted a new Ottoman National Identity and the representation of Ottoman Identity by Costume Albums has been internalized likewise many western rooted intellectual experiences. Museum of Antique Costumes and Album of “Ottoman Antique Costumes” by Brindesi which were supported both by the palace, has been the examples of this
internalization process. Westernization Process has also affected newly formed intellectuals who have directly influenced Western traditions and habits. Many intellectuals of Ottoman Empire like Osman Hamdi Bey has been educated in Europe and they have been the dynamics of westernization process.
Connection between Costume Albums and Ottoman Intellectuals can easily be seen Costumes of Ottoman’s Album in which Osman Hamdi and his counterparts has represented their tendencies to new Ottoman Identity that had been idealized in multicultural diversity. The Album, which was edited in 1873, also shows, how an ottoman intellectual idealized his new idea of Ottoman identity by the possibilities of
photographic experience. Also, Individual works of Ottoman photographers like Abdullah Brothers, Vasil Kargapolou, Pascal Sebah and the cross-dressing experience of western photographers will analyzed as practices of Ottoman idealization of identity.
This book proposes to define different aspects of the creative industry in Turkey , which have created surplus value with the contribution of innovative initiatives and technological developments in recent years. It concentrates on video games, cinema, animation, and creative activities that have gained economic and cultural importance in recent years. Also, it focuses on the unique cases of the core creative industries, such as new media. In more detail, it provides a critical and alternative approach to the production, distribution, and use of creative industry content beyond the overview of these industries.