
A visual portal connected to several cities around the world was officially launched in Philadelphia on Oct. 22 after its installation a few days prior. People walking through Love Park can stop and interact with those in Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland, with the location switching every three and a half minutes.
Zoya Rizvi, a sophomore psychology student at Drexel University, visited the portal on Oct. 23: “The place was still packed, and the overwhelming crowd prevented me from truly appreciating the portal. The atmosphere was chaotic and the crowd’s intensity left me feeling unsettled, making it difficult to have a meaningful or immersive experience.”
“There were families with young children present, yet people on both ends were acting in ways that were far from appropriate for children to witness, making the experience uncomfortable for many,” Rizvi said. “The portal connected to Ireland, and many of the young adults on that side were also engaging in inappropriate actions.”
Sanjana Bandi, a sophomore biomedical engineering student, visited the portal on Nov. 2 among a large crowd of people.
“At first, there wasn’t another place showing, but then it started switching between places like Poland and Lithuania. It seemed pretty late in both those places, so there weren’t many people around. Some people walked past it like they didn’t really notice it or care,” Bandi recalled.
According to Bandi, “It was mostly a lot of waving at people… Some people played rock paper scissors across the portal, which was fun. There [were] also a few couples on the other side who used the opportunity to kiss on camera, which was really cute.”
“The crowd size on the Philly end definitely wasn’t matched,” Bandi stated. “However, it was really cool to have that brief moment of connection with someone on the other side of the world whose face you otherwise may have never seen.”
Sophomore biology student Blessing Kwateng shared his own opinions on the exhibition: “The portal is definitely a more touristy attraction, but regardless, it’s fun and interesting to look at and it’s something that I personally would look at maybe a couple of times or take people who haven’t seen one in person before.”
“Philly residents who I can only assume have seen it before didn’t take much notice to it and carried on with their day,” Kwateng said. “Visitors or people who saw it for the first time all huddled around it in awe whenever we… traveled to a new country or when we saw people.”
The portal arrived in Philadelphia after its departure from Flatiron Plaza in New York City due to inappropriate behavior from people on either side, including flashing the camera and pretending to do drugs.
“I can’t help but wonder if something similar might happen here,” Rizvi said. “In my opinion, Philadelphia might not have been the ideal location for the portal, as the crowd largely consisted of immature students who were often disrespectful to those on the other side, displaying abusive hand gestures and other inappropriate behavior.”
“While the potential for cultural exchange and constructive dialogue is there, it was disappointing to see that immaturity and disrespect were more common,” Rizvi stated. “It’s unfortunate, especially since this technology offers such a unique opportunity for connection, yet the misuse of it leaves a poor impression and detracts from what could be an enriching experience.”
“I do see [inappropriate behavior] being highly possible here as well,” Bandi said. “They did have precautions that kept people from getting too close, though.”
“Many people joke saying that Philly is a bad place to keep it because ‘someone is going to try [to] take it home’ but in reality, it’s in a very open and well populated area so that won’t happen,” Kwateng said.
Despite the threat of inappropriate behavior, viewers hope that the portal can still serve its purpose as an art piece meant to connect people around the world.
“I believe that some people in Philadelphia will genuinely try to use the portal to foster respectful and meaningful interactions, creating a positive experience for both sides,” Rizvi stated.
“I think it’s actually a really nice and wholesome art installation, and I don’t see anything wrong with it being placed in Philly, especially in Love Park, which is already a place that lots of tourists frequent,” Bandi stated.
According to Kwateng, “Portals in general should definitely be in places that are big cities known for bringing in a large tourist crowd regularly and I think Philadelphia in that sense makes sense and is a good fit.”
On Nov. 8, the portal was moved further down the block to 16th St. and JFK Blvd, next to the Philadelphia Visitor’s Center as the city prepares Christmas Village. It was undergoing repairs on Nov. 11, but has since been fully operational.
This portal increases Philadelphia’s representation internationally leading up to 2026, when Philadelphia will be the hub for the United States’ 250th anniversary, the MLB All-Star game and the World Cup.