Home Dublin and New York connected by real-time ‘portal’

Dublin and New York connected by real-time ‘portal’

TL:DR

  • Dublin and New York install real-time 'portal' art, fostering transatlantic interaction.
  • The portal, located in iconic spots, promotes cultural exchange and international connections.
  • Visitors engage in spontaneous interactions, from exchanging phone numbers to heartfelt reunions.

A futuristic ‘portal’ has been installed in Dublin and New York allowing citizens on either side of the Atlantic to interact in real-time.

The public art realm has been introduced as part of Dublin’s status as the European City of Smart Tourism for 2024 and there was plenty of enthusiasm from the public as the technology was unveiled.

In the Irish capital, the structure is in place on O’Connell Street, capturing the GPO and the Spire while in the Big Apple, the portal is located in the Flatiron district at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street.

The sculpture will be a fixture in Dublin city center over the coming months, running through to fall.

Following the launch, there will be further cultural performances in both cities, while Dublin will have additional connections to city destinations in Poland, Brazil and Lithuania.

At the opening, Dublin Lord Mayor Daithi De Roiste welcomed the new attraction as he opined, “I would encourage Dubliners and visitors to the city to come and interact with the sculpture and extend an Irish welcome and kindness to cities all over the world.

Portal provides chance for romance

There was a lot of interest in the visual bridge between the two world cities, but some people went a step further seeking to make a special connection with strangers.

One man in Dublin was seen trying to give his phone number to another in New York, as someone else held up a cardboard sign to grab the attention of a potential love interest.

In a touching moment, a US student currently at UCD was able to connect and speak with her Mother, all the way across in NYC.

Benediktas Gylys, the Lithuanian artist who created the exhibition stated, “Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is – united and one.”

Image credit: Ideogram

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Graeme Hanna
Tech Journalist

Graeme Hanna is a full-time, freelance writer with significant experience in online news as well as content writing. Since January 2021, he has contributed as a football and news writer for several mainstream UK titles including The Glasgow Times, Rangers Review, Manchester Evening News, MyLondon, Give Me Sport, and the Belfast News Letter. Graeme has worked across several briefs including news and feature writing in addition to other significant work experience in professional services. Now a contributing news writer at ReadWrite.com, he is involved with pitching relevant content for publication as well as writing engaging tech news stories.

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