You don’t need a teleportation device or magic powers to instantly transport yourself across the Atlantic. Just head to the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street. There you’ll find a new piece of public art that looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. This new installation, The Portal, has a twin in Dublin, Ireland. The two circular screens featured in the middle of each “portal” display a 24/7 visual livestream of the other city, allowing you to observe the street activity and interact with people across the globe in real time.
In New York, visitors to The Portal will see a grand view of O’Connell Street. On this main street in the nation’s capital, you can see Dublin’s famous GPO building and the Spire. The installation of The Portal marks Ireland’s designation as the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024.
At the launch event on May 8th, NYC Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu, NYC DOT Art Director Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, and other participants held up signs with greetings for those taking part in the unveiling in Ireland. Likewise, The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithà De Róiste, sent greetings to New York.
“Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one. 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,” said Portals founder and artist Benediktas Gylys.
As part of the New York Design Week Festival, The Portal will kick off a series of cultural performances that will take place in each city. Programming will continue throughout the next few months.
The Portal is presented by Flatiron NoMad Partnership in collaboration with the Simons Foundation and the New York City Department of Transportation Art Program (NYC DOT Art). It is on view through fall 2024.
Next, check out Must-See Public Art Installations in May
