The ‘portal’ connecting Dublin and New York City has restarted this afternoon after it was paused earlier this week, but it will now only be operational during certain hours.
The two portals form part of a public art project aiming to unite citizens via technology on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The sculpture allows for real-time interaction between Dubliners, New Yorkers and visitors to both cities.
Dublin’s portal faces on to O’Connell Street capturing both the GPO and the Spire.
The NYC portal is located on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, one of the Big Apple’s most dynamic intersections.
A series of incidents involving what Dublin City Council called “inappropriate behaviour” prompted a suspension of the live stream.
The live stream will have specific hours of operation for the coming weeks, with the livestream running daily from 6am to 4pm in New York City and 11am to 9pm in Dublin.
In a statement, the council said that the attraction as amassed tens of thousands of visitors and garnered nearly two billion online impression in its few days of 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 invite people to have,” the statement said.
It added that the sculptures are not meant to be touched or stepped upon.
“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 team will continue making updates as needed to ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy the Portal.”
The New York site will continue to have on-site security during all hours of operation.
Additionally, fencing has been installed in front of the New York site and more signage and spacing decals have been added to assist with crowd management and guide visitors to the optimal spots for interacting with the Portal.
