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As far as intricate art installations go, this one's pretty cool: "The Portal" is a new public technology sculpture that will be installed on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street near the Flatiron Building this spring, broadcasting real-time videos of scenes occurring on the other side of the world in Dublin, Ireland, where another portal will be set up to showcase what's currently going on in New York.
Talk about connecting two cities.
Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benediktas Gylys has created the Portals, which, according to an official press release, "are an invitation to meet fellow humans above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one."
In Dublin, the "magic door" will be installed facing the city's main street, O'Connell Street, overlooking the GPO building and the Spire, allowing New Yorkers to take in a classic Irish scene from the comfort of midtown Manhattan.
The two portals will remain in place until this upcoming fall. During the span of time, expect adjacent programming to debut on site as well, including cultural performances that viewers on the other side of the respective installations could take in.
"This real-time connection between two iconic public spaces in global cities on either side of the Atlantic will bring people together, both physically and digitally, becoming a captivating attraction for New Yorkers and visitors alike," said James Mettham, the President of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, in an official statement.
This isn't the first technological creation of its kind. In fact, similar Portals, also by Gylys, were set up in Lithuania and Poland back in 2021, right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The future of sculptural art seems to be upon us.