“Love Is Everywhere”: The Living Art of Gliding Barnacles

After a whirlwind week in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, for the 14th annual Gliding Barnacles, there was so much to process and, although there’s no shortage of things to say, it’s hard to know where to begin. 

While traditional longboarding serves as the impetus for the gathering, there is so much more to it than just waveriding. For five days, the sprawling beach site was alive with soulful characters from six continents who all contributed to make it an event that feels more like a joyous family reunion than anything else. Perhaps it is best summed up in the theme, “Love Is Everywhere”, that was visually brought to life by the centerpiece work of art by Jula Osten.

To be fair, the people, the music, the shapers, the food, and the surfers, all deserve their own stories as they all contribute to the living art that transpires over the course of the festival from start to finish.

Jula’s art is defined by her creation of unique maps that explore the relationship between perspective and memory. In the main room of the art gallery and museum of Gliding, as it is called by its loving denizens, she painted a black map white lines depicting the festival grounds and surrounding area, at the very top, “Love Is Everywhere” (click to see video of the work in progress). Next to the map were blank pages and sheets of red, heart-shaped stickers for participants to mark the spot on the map where they found love. In front of the map was a mailbox for participants to write love letters from their time at Praia do Cabedelo.

“Over the years there have been many people who have met their partners here, or connected with new groups of friends, that have evolved alongside the festival and return each year as families. The map is a way for everyone to interact and share how they found love, whether in lovers, friends, or simply a wave that they’ll never forget”, said Beatriz Foncesca, one of the three main organizers alongside the inimitable father-son duo of Eurico and Kiko Gonçalves.

By the end of the week, the stickers had all been placed and little red hearts adorned the map–plenty of which were in the lineup and along the jetty–and the mailbox was full of letters (these will be kept until next year when they will become their own art piece). But it wasn’t just love that was everywhere, it was art too. 

The gallery space came to life over the course of the festival; on Tuesday the day before the event started, the walls of the gallery were all white and slowly but surely blossomed into a colorful display of artistic expression. By Saturday evening, when the gallery opening was held, the space was in full bloom. Beatriz said, “The funny thing is that we create, build, and prepare, all the way until Sunday, and then it’s over.” 

While the gallery will be painted white again for next year, and then revived in a new way, some pieces will live on in a physical and spiritual sense. None more so than the sculpture of metal waves created by Bela Gardens in memory and honor of Bradford. A phenomenal surfer, musician, and all around beautiful soul, Bradford left such an impression on Gliding that it is hard to imagine one without the other. 

For nearly a week Bela, a beautiful young woman, toiled in a metal shop on the outskirts of town with hardy old Portuguese metal workers–all men, all at least twice her age. She laughed as recalled, “At first, they were all like, ‘what the hell is this girl doing in here?!’ but by the second day, I had warmed them up, we became friends and they showed me pictures of their families.” Born to Brazilian parents, Bela speaks fluent Portuguese, which certainly helped smooth over the otherwise strange residency but, in all honesty, she could have only spoken Japanese and still have won them over. 

Shortly after sunset on Saturday night, the sculpture made its way to its temporary home by the sea, where all who knew Bradford placed notes and offerings at its base. A moment of prayer took place before Bela torched the notes to ash and sent their messages to our friend in the sky. 

It’s not often that we get to grieve together, to share tears, and hold each other through sadness, but it is an incredibly important part of being alive. Throughout our lives, we will all inevitably face hardship, struggle, and loss. To go through this alone only amplifies the darkness, to come together and embrace is to remember that love is, indeed, everywhere. 

RIP Bradford.

Related: "No VIP, No Hype, No Contest": Everything You Should Know About Gliding Barnacles