The Philadelphia Portal is getting a facelift after vandalism incidents

The Philadelphia version of the Portal, the art installation that helps broadcast people in front of the futuristic, circular screen into three different European cities, will be up and running Friday following some vandalism that left it out of commission since early February.

What’s more, the Portal will stay in Philadelphia despite recent uncertainty, though the installation is slated to leave LOVE Park to another Philadelphia location in approximately two weeks’ time, according to one of the project’s leaders.

Joe Callahan, a director of the Portals project, said crews were already at LOVE Park fixing the damage Wednesday — a project spokesperson had attributed repair delays to funding hang-ups. Callahan said Portal organizers would whittle down the options for the Portal’s next home to three locations, which would be announced next week.

“We identify a location … based on its existing footfall and whether or not it has public access, and then we identify the location whether or not it has the capacity to have a celebration in front of the board,” he said.

Part of the reason for the move is to avoid moving the 3.5-ton behemoth to make room for the Christmas Village, which organizers had to do last year.

Callahan did stress one finer point: The Portal, despite the minor incidents of vandalism, will stay in the city for at least the next two years.

It will be turned back on at LOVE Park during a ceremony Friday at 7 a.m.

Thieves cut out copper wire from the installation and Portal engineers believe rocks caused additional damage that led to the project being covered up with a tarp. While Callahan said vandalism has not been an issue in the handful of Portals organizers have scattered across the globe, he said the issues in Philly amounted to a “fraction of a fraction of a percentage” in the city.

The Portals project was created by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, who launched the first installation in 2021. What’s now the Philly Portal arrived in October after a stint in New York City. When working, it broadcasts scenes from sister installations in Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland.

Despite speculation that there weren’t enough sponsors to keep a Portal in Philly, Callahan tried to dispel doubt, saying organizers are “always fundraising because of the fact that it’s a philanthropic mission.”

Portals organizers are even looking for ways they could collaborate with planners for Philly’s Semiquincentennial celebration, he said.

“There may be multiple portals,” said Callahan.