Through the looking glass: These portals let you peer into life in another city

A young man stands in front of a one of two hi-tech 'portals' installed in Lulblin, Poland and Vilnius, Lithuania which give passers by a real-time look at life in each city, - Copyright portalcities.org

By Aisling Ní Chúláin

Published on 11/06/2021 - 18:15

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The project in Vilnius and Lublin aims to build bridges between cultures after a year when COVID put an end to travel.

A new installation of twin portals, each one in different European city, look like something pulled straight from a Sci-FI film.

The portals installed in Vilnius, Lithuania and Lublin Poland, use wifi and screens to give passers-by in each city the opportunity to peer into the other and connect with people 424 km away in real time.

The project is the brainchild of the non-profit Benediktas Gylys Foundation and was partly inspired by the loss of travel and connection brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a bridge that unifies and an invitation to rise above prejudices and disagreements that belong to the past.” explained Benediktas Gylys, the president of the foundation.

“It’s an invitation to rise above the us and them illusion,” he added.

Plans are already in works to bring the portal to other cities around the world.