LOVE Park 'portal' connects Philadelphia to several international cities | See where
It was activated on Tuesday morning
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An art installation "portal" in Philadelphia's LOVE Park is now activated and is connecting the City of Brotherly Love to several international cities.
The portal first appeared last Friday and the city officially launched it on Tuesday.
It was activated at 10 a.m. during a special unveiling ceremony.
"What may seem like a simple camera is actually a gateway -- a direct connection to cities, people, and cultures across the world," said Michael Newmuis, with the City of Philadelphia. "The portal offers a glimpse into the future and what's possible."
The bright, shiny structure has been making Philadelphia residents stop and stare.
Now, Philadelphians can peer through and say hello to people in a variety of international cities, including Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get overseas and I'm there, right on the spot," said Chris Belcher who drove into Center City from the Greater Northeast to get a glimpse of the Portal.
Soon, Philadelphia will be able to connect with more cities in the future as more "portals" are installed across the world.
Organizers say this sets our city up for the world stage, as we prepare for the 250th celebrations in Philadelphia, as well as hosting the World Cup and the MLB All-Star game, in 2026.
The Philadelphia portal was relocated from New York City, where it also connected visitors to Dublin.
"Philly? We could be rough sometimes, but we're in Love Park. So I think it's going to be all love," said Vilna Gaston of Media.
"Like the Liberty Bell, there is a small crack, but that's not going to stop us from making history through this incredible, beautiful portal," Newmuis added.
The "portals" are technology-based art sculptures in public spaces that connect to other sculptures internationally providing a real-time, unfiltered live stream 24/7. It allows visitors to watch and interact with each other thousands of miles away.
The project was created by a Lithuanian artist in 2021 to meet people beyond borders and unite the world.
"It's the same feeling you got whenever a train was going by when you were a kid, and you waved to someone on the train and you felt connected to that person for a minute. You're connected you're locked in there," said Joseph Callahan of Portal.
People Action News spoke with said it's fascinating and they are excited it is here in Philadelphia.
"I'm kinda like art. It's kinda thought-provoking," said Stan Karwoski, from St. Paul, Minnesota. "I'm from Minnesota, so it kinda looks like a hockey puck with a hole in it."
"It reminds me of like the scary movie, The Ring, like the girl is going to climb out of it or something like that," said Brett Sommerer, from Northeast Philadelphia.
Portals are trying to find permanent homes, and while it only lasted in New York City for a short while, the hope is to establish a permanent location in Philadelphia.
Officials said the installation project comes at no cost to the city.
