“I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes,” the model said.
A 24/7 livestream between Dublin and New York was temporarily switched off after videos went viral showing flashing, swearing and people showing images of the Twin Towers burning on 9/11.
Since being activated on 8 May, videos have been shared on social media of people using the video livestream in ways not intended by the designers or local authorities behind the project.
OnlyFans model Ava Louise posted a video of herself lifting up her top and showing her breasts to the portal with her naked back facing the New York City crowd.
“I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes,” Louise said.
The stream appeared to shutdown after Louise was caught flashing Dublin.
In another video, a man held up his phone to the screen, showing a video of the World Trade Center towers burning and billowing with black smoke during the 9/11 attack.
Another video showed a woman being dragged away from the portal by police after grinding against the screen.
“Basically she was there for about 20 minutes very drunk and was slapping and grinding against the portal before guards stepped in,” the person who filmed it explained.
Dublin City Council says it is working on ‘technical solutions’ to address ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
Why have Dublin and New York set up a ‘portal’?
“We are delighted to connect Dublin with New York which we share a deep historical and cultural bond with,” says Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, after the portal launched to a crowd of hundreds of people in Dublin on 8 May.
“From July the Dublin Portal will also connect to other global city destinations in Poland, Brazil and Lithuania.”
The main idea behind the portal is connection. It was given the green light in Dublin as part of the city’s recent designation as European City of Smart Tourism 2024.
“Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one,” says Benediktas Gylys, a Lithuanian artist who invented the Portal.
Chatting up locals through the portal
The portal has proved popular with Dublin locals, with crowds gathering to check out what’s happening across the ocean.
There have been some.. ahem.. interesting encounters right from when it was first switched on.
In one clip shared on social media, a Dubliner can be seen trying to communicate his phone number to a special someone on the other side in New York.
And another one doing the rounds showed a girl in New York calling a guy in Dublin after connecting through the portal.
A video was also circulating of the police physically removing someone who was standing in front of the portal.
In a more heartwarming scene, an Irish university shared a picture of one of its American students linking up with their mom in New York through the portal camera.
In a statement to Euronews Travel the team behind the portals responded to these creative scenes: “We are overwhelmed by the reactions, which are vastly positive. We are not trying to suggest any particular way in how people should interact with the Portals or with each other.”
It continued: “Instead, Portals are an invitation to meet fellow human beings and for people to draw their own interpretations and feelings. In this sense, we are also just observers of this event, and it’s great to see the amount of creative energy that people have and how powerful human connection can be.”
Where can I see the portal?
Running until autumn, visitors and locals can find the portal on Dublin’s O’Connell street, with the iconic GPO building and the Spire as the backdrop.
In New York you can find it on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, next to the famed Flatiron Building.
Other portals are also installed in Lublin in Poland and Vilnius in Lithuania, according to the maker’s website.
