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European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism
Press release8 May 2024Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs1 min read

Portal Art Installation connecting Dublin to New York in Real-Time

An exciting new public art installation called ‘The Portal’, has created a virtual and visual bridge between New York City and 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism, Dublin. 

Dublin New York Portal

This captivating  installation is one of the centre pieces in Dublin's title year as European Capital, and demonstrates the city's willingness to be innovative and try new things. 

Conceived by Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benediktas Gylys, the portal acts as an invitation to meet people in a way that transcends borders, differences and distance. The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures.

Dublin’s portal has been installed on the city’s main thoroughfare, meaning Dubliners and visitors to the city will have ample opportunity to meet New Yorkers as they go about their day to day business. At the other end of the portal, New Yorkers will be lucky enough to see some of Dublin's iconic landmarks, such as the GPO building and the Spire. This real-time visual livestream forged a tangible connection between Dublin and New York City, where a corresponding Portal is standing in the Flatiron South Public Plaza, adjacent to the renowned Flatiron Building. The installation was presented by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership in collaboration with the New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (NYC DOT Art) and the Simons Foundation.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, heralded this partnership as a testament to Dublin’s embrace of its role as the European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2024:

“As we celebrate our official handover for the EU Capital of Smart Tourism designation, the Portals project symbolises Dublin’s commitment to connecting not just within the EU but also with cities like New York, which we share a deep historical and cultural bond with. This project exemplifies the fusion of technology and engineering to bring communities from across the world closer together. One of our key objectives in Dublin is to improve innovation in tourism through a number of initiatives, and this project is an example of the exciting things to expect during 2024 and beyond.”