Dublin-New York portal reopens with set hours
A live video “portal” between Dublin and New York has reopened after being temporarily closed due to “inappropriate behavior.”
The continuous live stream, which enables users in both cities to see and interact with each other, was turned off on May 14, less than a week after its launch.
A message on the blank screen read: “Portal is asleep – back up soon.”
Incidents widely shared on social media involved users “mooning,” displaying swear words, and exposing various body parts.
One user in Dublin even displayed a video of the 9/11 attacks in New York.
Dublin City Council announced that the livestream will operate in the coming weeks from 11:00 to 21:00 local time in Dublin and from 06:00 to 16:00 EDT in New York.
In a statement, the council mentioned that the attraction has drawn tens of thousands of visitors and garnered almost two billion online impressions during its operation.
“The overwhelming majority of people who have visited the portal sculptures have experienced the sense of joy and connectedness that these works of public art are intended to provide,” the statement said.
The council also reminded the public that the sculptures were not meant to be touched or stepped on.
“We have taken steps to limit instances of people stepping on the portal and holding phones up to the camera lens,” the statement added.
“The Portals.org team has implemented a proximity-based solution. Now, if individuals step on the portal and obstruct the camera, it will trigger a blurring of the livestream for everyone on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The portal in Dublin was erected just off the junction where North Earl Street runs onto the city’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street.
The New York portal is located on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, at one of the city’s most dynamic intersections.
