Irish pranksters are using the ‘portal’ between Manhattan and Dublin to troll New Yorkers with 9/11 videos and nudity.
The futuristic sculpture forms a 24/7 virtual bridge that livestreams life from across the Atlantic.
The New York City Portal is in front of the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue and Dublin’s on O’Connell Street in front of the GPO and the Spire.
When The Portal was activated on May 8, crowds from both countries gathered around with signs saying ‘Hello from New York’ and ‘Welcome to Dublin.’
But it didn’t take long for those with a different sense of humor to hijack the project’s wholesome intentions.
Irish pranksters are using the ‘portal’ between Manhattan and Dublin to troll New Yorkers with 9/11 videos and nudity
One Irishman switched the view to a video of the World Trade Center towers burning and billowing with black smoke during the 9/11 attack
Social media is flooded with videos of hooligans baring their bottoms to transatlantic strangers – or much worse.
The usual view of people waving from the historic Irish capital was interrupted within hours of the portal opening by a closeup of a man’s phone.
First it displayed ‘RIP Popsmoke’, referring to American rapper Bashar Barakah Jackson, who was gunned down in a home invasion on February 19, 2020.
Five men stormed Jackson’s house in Los Angeles demanding jewelry and shot him, three times with a Beretta M92 when he tried to fight them.
The Irishman then switched the view to a video of the World Trade Center towers burning and billowing with black smoke during the 9/11 attack.
Another video showed a woman being dragged away from the portal by police after grinding against the screen.
Another video showed a woman being dragged away from the portal by police after grinding against the screen
‘Basically she was there for about 20mins very drunk and was slapping and grinding against the portal before guards stepped in,’ the person who filmed it explained.
Less extreme was an Irishman who waved at the dozens of Americans on the other side, before turning around and mooning them.
Another man held up a swastika on his phone, and plenty of middle fingers were exchanged on both sides.
The displays will operate through until autumn, but an official end date has not been announced.
‘Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is – united and one,’ said Benediktas Gylys, a Lithuanian artist and founder of The Portal.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste unveiled the portal in Dublin (pictured), showing off people in New York City
The Portal offers an unfiltered live stream view from O’Connell Street in Dublin to the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
‘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.’
Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste unveiled the portal in Dublin that included a performance by The Liberties Majorettes as a nod to New York.
In the coming months, the two cities will share scheduled programming to celebrate New York Design Week and other cultural performances that have not been released yet.
‘Two amazing global cities, connected in real-time and space,’ New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu said, adding: ‘That is something you do not see every day!’
‘We are so excited to have the portal as a public interactive art installation, showcasing the vibrancy of our city streets and providing a new point for human connection between New Yorkers and Dubliners.
The Portal was first created in 2021 by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys who also primarily funded them. Pictured: The Dublin portal before it was unveiled today
The Portal was first revealed in 2021 by the Benefiktas Gylys Foundation, a non-profit that works to unify nations and has already set up similar portals in Lithuania and Poland.
‘One of my key aims as Lord Mayor is to make the city more inclusive,’ said De Róiste, who announced that Dublin’s portal will also connect to the other Portal locations starting in July.
‘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.’
The Portal presents a new kind of sculptural art that uses science and technology to connect people from around the world and is a major focus for the Simons Foundation.
It worked alongside Dublin, Flatiron NoMad, NYC DOT Art, portals.org and the EU Capital of Smart Tourism to bring The Portal to life.
De Róiste announced that Dublin’s portal will also connect to the other Portal locations in Poland and Lithuania starting in July.
Gylys first thought of the portal in 2016 when a spiritual experience led him to view the planet through a different lens and he developed the need to ‘counter polarizing ideas’ and find a way for people from different cultures to communicate
‘Public spaces are what make New York City so vibrant and exciting,’ said David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation.
‘From music to art, the use of public spaces amplifies the collective voice of our city. We’re committed to ensuring that science and technology continue to be part of that voice.’
Gylys first thought of the concept in 2016 when a spiritual experience led him to view the planet through a different lens and he developed the need to ‘counter polarizing ideas’ and find a way for people from different cultures to communicate.
He provided the majority of the funds needed to build the first two portals in collaboration with a team from VilniusTech University in Lithuania.
The first two portals opened in May 2021 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius and in the Polish city, Lublin.
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