NYC to Dublin portal temporarily shuts down after ‘inappropriate behavior,’ tech issues

The livestream art installation connecting two bustling cities, New York and Dublin, is garnering the attention of tens of thousands of visitors, but due to some controversial activity, the portal temporarily closed for a closer look.

The portal is a piece of sculpture art by Portals founder and artist, Benediktas Gylys, originally from Lithuania. The idea to create a virtual link between countries started in 2016 when Gylys wanted to find a way to bridge international gaps, a passion further driven by the COVID pandemic.

“It became too difficult for me to live on a planet of constant separation, constant hatred. I felt a deep need to create something different, something new that would talk to the human heart instead of just rationally talking to the human brain,” Gylys told NBC New York during an interview in front of the NYC portal.

The engaging piece located on 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue has attracted troublemakers since its launch only a week ago, including those portraying messages of hate and nudity.

In one instance, an OnlyFans model, Ava Louise, flashed the camera, and separately, a visitor shared images of the attack on the Twin Towers during 9/11.

The NYC Portal made its North American debut on May 8 working with the Flatiron NoMad Partnership. According to a social media post by the organization, the portal will be “temporarily paused for a few days” beginning on Tuesday at 5:00 P.M. E.T. and will return to regular activity by the end of the week.

In a statement shared with NBC New York, the Flatiron NoMad says, “Instances of inappropriate behavior have come from a very small minority of Portal visitors and have been amplified on social media. In New York, we have had a set of protocols in place since the Portal’s launch, including 24/7 on-site security and barriers to prevent people from stepping onto the Portal.”

Gylys understands the portal as a 24/7 project and a work in progress, so the piece can be periodically closed to run technical updates to ensure the “experience is lovely for everyone.”

Joe Callahan is the Director of Portals Organization and CEO of Sansar, a social virtual reality platform. He told News 4 that the project plans to ensure a family-friendly and inclusive atmosphere.

“The reaction from New Yorkers that we’ve seen has been overwhelmingly positive so far, with people from all over coming to see the portal. While we understand there have been instances of inappropriate behavior at the portal, these incidents represent only a tiny fraction of the overall interactions,” said Callahan.

NBC New York spoke with several New Yorkers at the portal on Tuesday before its interim closing. Most residents love the interactive, real-time correspondence and were surprised by the amount of people joining in.

Christine Tilton and Ailise Beales both work with the social app 5 and Go!, which promotes healthy, interactions with friends online. Tilton has been visiting the portal for the third day in a row, joined by Beales dressed in unicorn blow-up costumes.

“We heard about the closure last night into this morning, and we’re an app that fights loneliness and promotes kindness, so we were like, ‘Let’s prove to the world we can play nice’,” Tilton told News 4.