In October this year, the Lublin PORTAL gained a new perspective – thanks to international cooperation, residents of Lublin can now visit Philadelphia virtually. A few days ago, a symbolic opening of the transmission between the cities took place, attended by representatives of the authorities and residents of both locations. This provided each city with a new opportunity for interaction, and the rotating display of images from different parts of the world makes it possible to connect periodically with Vilnius, Dublin and now Philadelphia.
Joe Callahan, a member of Portals.org, the organisation responsible for connecting Philadelphia to Lublin, spoke at the launch about the unique mission of this project. Callahan emphasised that Philadelphia is an inclusive and open to diversity city that wants to showcase its community to the world. In turn, Beata Stepaniuk-Kuśmierzak, deputy mayor of Lublin, noted that it is a great honour for Lublin to have a new city join the PORTAL network. The live broadcasts are very positively received by the citizens of Lublin, who interact with those on the other side of the portal with curiosity and affection. In her opinion, these unusual installations encourage people to get to know each other, across all boundaries.
Photo by Beata Stepaniuk-Kuśmierzak
Broadcasts from Philadelphia will be available daily from 14:00 to 21:00 CET, when images from the American city will be rotated with transmissions from Vilnius and Dublin. During the remaining hours, Lublin will remain connected to Vilnius. The portal’s current location in Philadelphia’s John F. Kennedy Plaza (known as Love Park) will operate until 7 November, after which it will be relocated to the city’s historic district, creating an opportunity for more Philadelphians to experience international connections.
The idea behind the PORTAL project, created by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, is to create a bridge between communities around the world. At the centre of each portal is a circular screen and a camera that transmit live images, connecting residents of different cities. This allows residents to share not only views, but above all to experience the presence of people from other cultures, often very distant geographically. Since the establishment of PORTAL in Lublin, which initiated cooperation with Vilnius in 2021, the network has been growing dynamically. It now includes not only Vilnius, but also Dublin, the International Space Station and now Philadelphia.
Philadelphia, the symbol city of American independence, is preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and the PORTAL installation is part of the celebration of this anniversary. Through this initiative, residents of both cities can feel a global community and see how similar they are despite their cultural differences. This modern tool for building bridges between communities is attracting increasing interest, offering the opportunity for unique encounters with people from other countries without having to travel.
Source: lublin112.pl, kurierlubelski.pl
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