Philadelphia gets its own Portal relocated from New York to connect across the world
The City of Brotherly Love now has a window into the world in the heart of Center City. The group behind the viral "Portal" art installation in New York City's Flatiron Plaza has relocated the livestreaming sculpture/social experiment to LOVE Park.
The iconic LOVE Park sign is taking a backseat for now as large crowds spent Tuesday in front of the Portal, a new bidirectional screen allowing people to connect with countries Ireland, Poland and Lithuania.
"So many people were here and I was so excited to see that and everyone just showing so much love to everyone," Kaitlyn Payne said. "I love that."
It's all happening in real time.
"We are going to lean in and give really big ideas a chance in this city and make sure we're doing it in a way that everyone across neighborhoods all play a part," said Michael Newmuis, the city's 2026 director coordinating plans for Philadelphia's active role in celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States.
The Portal flips from location to location every three minutes or so.
City officials said the portal screen cracked during installation, but that would not dampen festivities.
Users on social media noticed the mysterious portal, which was not yet connected to others across the world, placed in Philadelphia's LOVE Park last week. Photographer HughE Dillon captured the lit-up portal Friday night and posted pictures and video on his Instagram account @PhillyChitChat.
Portals.org says the Portal will turn on this week and connect to multiple others worldwide via a 24/7 livestream. According to the organization's website, there are established portals in Vilnius, Lithuania; Lublin, Poland; Dublin, Ireland and one is coming soon in Piaui, Brazil.
"This Portal does have a crack. I can say confidently that crack is not the result of vandalism, and it'll be fixed in a few days," Newmuis said. "But we're not going to let that give us a reason to not move forward in offering this unparalleled opportunity for people to engage."
The Portal in New York was connected to an identical one in Dublin. Since its unveiling on May 8, the New York Portal attracted thousands of visitors as New Yorkers grew enamored with fostering real-time connections with Dubliners through a livestream.
But bad behavior, including people flashing the screen or holding up disturbing images, led to the Portal getting shut down. After a few days, the Portal reopened and additional security measures were taken on both the New York and Dublin sides.
Benediktas Gylys founded Portals.org after "I felt a deep need to counter polarising ideas and to communicate that the only way for us to continue our journey on this beautiful spaceship called Earth is together," he said, according to his website. "I did not want to enter the ring and fight but to offer something with love and light."
The project, which is backed by Portals.org, was started in 2016 by a Lithuanian artist, but one of the people behind the portal is a Philly native.
"It's exhilarating," Portals.org's Joseph Callahan said. "I used to skate in this park on my way to crew practice down to boathouse row in the 80s."
New memories are already taking place as those on the other side held up signs and flags. But, of course, Philadelphians will find ways to make the Portal their own.
"I think we'll keep it cool and calm, and so we can keep it here forever," Dana Dabney from West Philadelphia said. "Be nice ya'll out here."
Words on the back of the Portal state it's a "bridge to a united planet."
Newmuis said the Portal has mechanisms to mitigate any "anti-social behavior."
The Portal sculpture came at no cost to the city.
