A portal in Dublin and New York is allowing the 2 cities to communicate in a new way

A new art exhibit called The Portal was revealed last week in New York City and Dublin, Ireland, by artist Benediktas Gylys.

The Portal consists of two interactive art pieces that look like a literal portal. It has technology that allows viewers in each country to see each other in real time.

It’s the second such installment in the world, according to the official Portals website.

CNN reports that the New York City portal is located in Flatiron South Public Plaza and has a 24/7 video livestream. The portal will only be up until fall, with several cultural performances scheduled to take place nearby.

According to Portals, the art installments “offer a real-time, unfiltered livestream 24/7, inviting people of different cultures to meet above borders and differences.”

In Dublin, the portal got a positive reaction from its residents, according to The Irish Times.

The article described the interactions between the two portals, saying, “Viewers on the Dublin side waved at the New Yorkers, blew them kisses and tried to entice them into dance-offs. The New Yorkers repeated the gestures back; one guy in a blue baseball cap also rolled up his sleeve and flexed his bicep for the camera, another man performed cartwheels.”

But the portals have some uncomfortable drawbacks

Since the portals have no censoring capabilities, people are able to literally do anything in front of the camera and it will get transmitted.

The Guardian reported on how several people have shown images of the swastika and the twin towers burning through the Portal, while others have taken drugs and displayed inappropriate behaviors.

The Irish Times reported that “it took at least half an hour before a guy in a flannel top on the New York side gave the middle finger to the Dubliners, who repeated the gesture back at him enthusiastically.”

One woman from Dublin shared with The Guardian, “Why did they put it here? They’re all mad on this street. At night-time it’s like The Purge.”

Reactions on X (formally Twitter) have further highlighted bad behaviors.

But there have also been positive reactions between both countries, some in the form of dance-offs that have gained popularity on X.

According to Portals, the purpose of these art installations is to “provide a 24/7 window to different cultures from around the world and serve as a space where we can meet people outside of our social bubbles — people who we would otherwise never meet during our lifetimes.”