Mysterious portal connecting New York to Dublin pops up in Manhattan
A portal has opened up in Dublin and New York, letting people more than 3,000 miles apart see and interact each other in real time. Collectively called 'The Portal,' the futuristic sculpture forms a 24/7 virtual bridge that livestreams life from across the Atlantic. The New York City Portal is located in front of the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue and Dubliners can find their local portal on O'Connell Street in front of the GPO and the Spire. +6 View gallery
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Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste unveiled the portal in Dublin (pictured), showing off people in New York City +6 View gallery
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The Portal will remain open from May 8 through the fall and will include cultural programming from both cities +6 View gallery
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The Portal offers an unfiltered live stream view from O'Connell Street in Dublin to the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan When The Portal was activated on May 8, crowds from both countries gathered around with signs saying 'Hello from New York' and 'Welcome to Dublin.' The displays will operated through the fall, but an official end date has not been announced.
'Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one,' said Benediktas Gylys, a Lithuanian artist and founder of The Portal. 'The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness.' Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste unveiled the portal in Dublin that included a performance by The Liberties Majorettes as a nod to New York. In the coming months, the two cities will share scheduled programming to celebrate New York Design Week and other cultural performances that have not been released yet. 'Two amazing global cities, connected in real-time and space,' New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu said, adding: 'That is something you do not see every day!' 'We are so excited to have the portal as a public interactive art installation, showcasing the vibrancy of our city streets and providing a new point for human connection between New Yorkers and Dubliners. The Portal was first revealed in 2021 by the Benefiktas Gylys Foundation, a non-profit that works to unify nations and has already set up similar portals in Lithuania and Poland. +6 View gallery
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The Portal was first created in 2021 by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys who also primarily funded them. Pictured: The Dublin portal before it was unveiled today +6 View gallery
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De Róiste announced that Dublin's portal will also connect to the other Portal locations in Poland and Lithuania starting in July. +6 View gallery
'Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one,' said Benediktas Gylys, a Lithuanian artist and founder of The Portal. 'The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness.' Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste unveiled the portal in Dublin that included a performance by The Liberties Majorettes as a nod to New York. In the coming months, the two cities will share scheduled programming to celebrate New York Design Week and other cultural performances that have not been released yet. 'Two amazing global cities, connected in real-time and space,' New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu said, adding: 'That is something you do not see every day!' 'We are so excited to have the portal as a public interactive art installation, showcasing the vibrancy of our city streets and providing a new point for human connection between New Yorkers and Dubliners. The Portal was first revealed in 2021 by the Benefiktas Gylys Foundation, a non-profit that works to unify nations and has already set up similar portals in Lithuania and Poland. +6 View gallery 
