Ever wondered what it's like 3,000 miles across the world in real-time? Well, thanks to a new interactive two-piece art installation standing in New York and Dublin that curiosity can now be quenched, and you might even make a few new friends outside the country.
Aptly named "The Portal," the piece is by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys and finds the denizens of two famous locations facing and talking to each other via a visual livestream projected to the two giant circular installations 24/7.
Unveiled last Wednesday, May 8, it allows New Yorkers along Broadway's Flatiron South Public Plaza to see people in Dublin alongside having a clear view of the city's famed GPO building and the Spire.
About the Two Digital Portal Installations
According to a press release from the artist and the officials of both cities, the concept was "conceived as a testament to the power of art to transcend physical barriers, The Portal forms an unprecedented visual bridge between these two iconic cities."
On the Dublin side, the release said that the City Council delivered the piece as an extension of its designation as the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024. Running through the fall season, the portals will also be hosting scheduled programming at each spot.
Included in said programs are cultural performances that people from the other end can enjoy, kicking off in the middle of this month with a visual program in celebration of the upcoming New York Design Week Festival.
Of the piece, its creator Gylys said: "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," she continued.
For more information, you can visit: portals.org.
