The Philippines continues to be one of the most vibrant markets for artistic innovation in Southeast Asia, with the country’s creative economy amounting to P1.6 trillion in 2022, a 12% increase from the previous year.
Now with the emergence of phygital art, a fusion of traditional art forms and interactive digital elements, a new era of storytelling is born, inviting audiences to actively immerse, interact, and engage with different narratives.
Ushering in the advent of a new artistic form, GCrypto has partnered with renowned Filipino American rapper Apl.de.Ap and Manila-based contemporary artist Bitto to bring phygital art to life.
“As the leading fintech company in the Philippines, we at GCash are pioneering innovation in financial spaces and artistic breakthroughs, and that includes making NFTs and phygital art accessible to more people,” said Luis Buenaventura, GCash head of Web3. “As we work towards the goal of financial progress, this is our way of fostering innovation, democratizing art ownership and making crypto easier for every Filipino.”
“We are delighted to work with Apl.de.Ap and Bitto, two Filipino artists who have established their marks in the global space, as they break artistic boundaries. This collaboration is in line with our goal of amplifying more local talents to the global stage while enabling more Filipino creatives and collectors to access premium art collaborations,” he added.
An art auction in collaboration with homegrown NFT marketplace, Likha, and the popular art gallery Vinyl on Vinyl, showcased a one-of-a-kind canvas painting by Bitto, accompanied by original unreleased music by Apl de Ap, which will be for the benefit of the Apl.de.Ap Foundation. Collectors snagged limited edition sculptures with embedded music, along with signed event-exclusive art prints.
As a pioneer in the fintech industry, GCrypto staged the art launch to bring together the best of blockchain technology paired with physical art, featuring a digital certificate of authentication (COA) documenting the transaction on the blockchain to bring peace of mind to both artists and buyers alike.
“I’m excited to have my foundation collaborating with Bitto to release our first physical art launch, ‘Agents of Peace and Love.’ It means a lot to see the art moving into a myriad of dimensions,” said Apl.de.Ap.
“It’s really an honor for me to be working together with Apl and APLFI through GCrypto. I’m truly grateful to know that I created a few artworks for this project that could provide support and grant opportunities to the youth in the Philippines,” added Bitto.
