Portal (sculptures)

The Portal is a series of sculpture attractions which videoconference between one another. Created by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, they are large, identical circular sculptures that are located in various public city spaces, connecting two cities together by displaying a livestream of each city along with a camera on top of the screen. Initially starting as a concept in 2016, the first two installations of the Portal series were unveiled in 2021 for the Vilnius–Lublin Portal. In 2024, the New York–Dublin Portal, the next two and most recent installations in the series, were unveiled.

Description
Each Portal is a large, circular sculpture featuring a screen and a camera. It connects with another Portal, both capturing and displaying a livestream of each other. It was designed by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University's engineering department as a reference to the wheel of time.

History
According to Portal creator Benediktas Gylys, the project began as a concept in 2016 "after a mystical experience." Through his Benediktas Gylys Foundation, Gylys partnered with Vilnius Gediminas Technical University to develop the first two sculptures in the series, which were placed in Vilnius, Lithuania and Lublin, Poland on 26 May 2021.

On 8 May 2024, another two installations in the series were placed in New York City and Dublin, Ireland, to create the New York–Dublin Portal. The Dublin installation is located on O'Connell Street, while the New York City Portal was placed at the Flatiron South Public Plaza. A few days after the installation, the portals in Dublin and New York were shut down temporarily following instances of "inappropriate behavior".