New York–Dublin Portal Explained

New York–Dublin Portal
Artist:Benediktas Gylys
Preceded By:Vilnius–Lublin Portal
Website:Official website

The New York–Dublin Portal (also simply known as The Portal) is an interactive installation created by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys to allow people in New York City and Dublin to interact with each other using two 24-hour live streaming video screens (without audio). The second series of installations in Gylys' Portal series, the New York–Dublin Portal has been compared to Paul St George's past art installation named the Telectroscope, which connected New York to London in 2008.[1]

History

The Portal sculpture concept was created by Benediktas Gylys. The first of these to be unveiled was the Portal linking Vilnius, Lithuania to Lublin, Poland on May 26, 2021.[2] Following its success, it was confirmed in March 2024 that by spring, Dublin and New York would be the next cities to receive them.[3]

On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the portals were introduced in their respective cities, with the New York screen being installed on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue and Broadway next to the Flatiron Building, while the Dublin screen was positioned on O'Connell Street. In a press release on the same day, Gylys said they will only remain in place until autumn.[4] To celebrate the launch, people in both cities held up signs to greet each other, with people on the New York side performing a dance routine.[5]

On June 12, 2024, a collaboration of the Museum of Mathematics in Manhattan and Maths Week Ireland saw 10-year-old schoolchildren in both New York City and Dublin use the portal to challenge each other to solve challenging puzzles.[6]

In August 2024, it was announced that the New York–Dublin Portal would be shut down on September 2, 2024.[7]

Abuse of the portal

On Monday, May 13, 2024, the connecting screens were turned off temporarily after participants behaved improperly.[8] [9] Some on the Dublin side displayed pornography[10] and imagery of the September 11 attacks, projected profanities from their phone screens, and performed indecent exposure.[11] On the New York side, an OnlyFans model exposed her breasts to those in Dublin.[12] A Dublin City Council spokesperson said the authority had seen a "very small minority" behaving unsuitably, and technical solutions to address it are being implemented.[13] The Council ruled out the possibility of blurring the video feed.[8]

On Sunday, May 19, the New York and Dublin Portals were placed back online with updated digital technology to blur the screen if a person enters a visual field too close to the Portal.[14] This has prevented several attempts by individuals to project images through the portal's camera system.[15]

Reception

Shortly after the New York-Dublin Portal was reactivated in May 2024, the novelist Megan Nolan wrote for The Guardian: "There was something simian about the Portal, not only in that it felt zoo-like being regarded by the other side as they waited to be entertained, but also in the way that people behave when language is out of bounds."[16]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Carroll . Roy . Smiles, waves and flashed body parts: video portal links Dublin and New York . May 14, 2024 . . May 13, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513210711/https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/13/smiles-waves-flashed-body-parts-video-portal-links-dublin-new-york . May 13, 2024.
  2. News: Krzyżanowski . Paweł . W Lublinie pojawił się... portal. Pozwala na komunikację z Wilnem . ...A portal appeared in Lublin. Allows communication with Vilnius . May 14, 2024 . . May 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210531121126/https://www.komputerswiat.pl/aktualnosci/wydarzenia/w-lublinie-pojawil-sie-portal-pozwala-na-komunikacje-z-wilnem/6gj946b . May 31, 2021 . pl.
  3. News: Chávez Gutiérrez . José Maria . The Portal is an art installation connecting New Yorkers and Dubliners through sculpture . May 14, 2024 . . March 27, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240511215630/https://www.archpaper.com/2024/03/the-portal-art-installation-new-yorkers-dubliners-through-sculpture/ . May 11, 2024.
  4. News: Guy . Jack . Interactive art installation lets New Yorkers communicate with people 3,000 miles away . May 14, 2024 . . May 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240509130102/https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/09/style/art-installation-dublin-new-york-scli-intl/index.html . May 9, 2024.
  5. News: Snider . Mike . Mystical Portals now connect New York and Dublin, part of a bridge 'to a united planet' . May 14, 2024 . . May 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513200942/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/05/09/portal-dublin-new-york/73633531007/ . May 13, 2024.
  6. Web site: Conlon . Padraig . Dublin and NYC students use The Portal to make maths magic across the Atlantic . Dublin People . June 13, 2024 . August 13, 2024.
  7. Web site: Rizk . Jonathan . NYC-Dublin Portal to close permanently . PIX11 . August 12, 2024 . August 13, 2024.
  8. Web site: Hunter . Marnie . May 14, 2024 . Dublin-New York City portal: 'Inappropriate' behavior shuts down livestream sculpture installation . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524211516/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/inappropriate-behavior-shuts-down-dublin-new-york-portal . May 24, 2024 . May 15, 2024 . CNN.
  9. Burga . Solcyré . Dublin to New York City Portal Temporarily Shut Down Due to Inappropriate Behavior . subscription . May 15, 2024 . . May 14, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240515171126/https://time.com/6977881/dublin-new-york-city-portal-temporarily-shut-down/ . May 15, 2024.
  10. Web site: Feehan . Conor . May 15, 2024 . Dublin's Portal: Anti-social behaviour 'is having an impact' – minister . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524211728/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublins-portal-anti-social-behaviour-is-having-an-impact-minister/a191318277.html . May 24, 2024 . May 16, 2024 . . en.
  11. Web site: Carroll . Roy . May 14, 2024 . Dublin video portal to New York shuts temporarily due to unruly behaviour . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240515081430/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/may/14/dublin-video-portal-to-new-york-shuts-temporarily-due-to-unruly-behaviour . May 15, 2024 . May 15, 2024 .
  12. News: Davis . Barney . 'OnlyFans, drugs and 9/11 taunts': Dublin to New York portal taken offline over 'inappropriate behaviour' . May 14, 2024 . limited . . May 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240514171116/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dublin-new-york-onlyfans-9-11-b2544694.html . May 14, 2024.
  13. News: Sharkey . Kevin . McBride . Mike . A 'small minority' ruining Dublin Portal experience . May 14, 2024 . . May 14, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240514174545/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1882x5xggo . May 14, 2024.
  14. Web site: May 19, 2024 . 'Portal' installation linking Dublin and New York reopens after 'inappropriate behavior' . May 25, 2024 . NBC News.
  15. Web site: Dublin-New York portal reopens with set hours . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240523211732/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg66ydel7ero . May 23, 2024 . May 23, 2024 . BBC News . May 19, 2024 . "The Portals.org team has implemented a proximity-based solution. Now, if individuals step on the portal and obstruct the camera, it will trigger a blurring of the livestream for everyone on both sides of the Atlantic.".
  16. Web site: Nolan . Megan . May 23, 2024 . Mischief and mooning: the New York-Dublin Portal is a testament to international idiocy. I couldn't love it more . May 25, 2024 . the Guardian.

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