WANDER IRELAND

A ground-breaking public art installation known as ‘The Portal’ is set to form a visual bridge between New York City and Dublin, beginning in May.

The Portal will be installed facing Dublin’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, and will capture the iconic vista of both the city’s famous GPO building and the Spire. It will offer the public a real-time, unfiltered, visual livestream that connects it with New York Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street.

It is one of a number of portals that are connecting cities around the world. Conceived by Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benediktas Gylys, these portals are an invitation to meet fellow humans in a way that transcends borders and differences to experience our world as it really is – united and one. The livestream of portals provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures.

This project is a fusion of technology and engineering that aims to bring communities from across the world closer together. The New York City and Dublin connection will be in place from May through to the autumn. In addition to the real-time connection, there will be scheduled programming, including cultural performances at each city’s portal that will be enjoyed by people in the other city via the livestream. 
 

Photo Credit: Portals.org.

The installation is part of a programme of events that will be taking place as part of Dublin’s recent designation as European City of Smart Tourism 2024. It symbolises Dublin’s commitment to connecting not just within the European Union but also with cities like New York, with which it shares a deep historical and cultural bond. 

The European Capital of Smart Tourism designation is awarded to cities by the European Commission in recognition of destinations which are leading the way in becoming more sustainable, accessible, cultural and digital.

Dublin has embedded best Smart Tourism practices from across Europe through its collaborations with other cities and the publication of its first five-year tourism strategy with a strong focus on innovation.

New experiences such as 14 Henrietta Street, EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum as well as digital innovations such as the Dublin Discovery Trails App contributed to Dublin being awarded the designation. Dublin has also committed to sustainability by being the first Irish city to sign the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Tourism and has a vision to become the world’s first autism friendly city by 2026.

The GPO, O’Connell Street, Dublin City.