Celebrating The NFT Art Scene in the Philippines in 2023 | BitPinas Webcast 31

In this BitPinas Webcast, we delved into the thriving NFT art scene in the Philippines in 2023, featuring two prominent figures in the Filipino NFT and art community: Verlin Santos of Titik Poetry and Henry Banayat of Bitshares Labs Inc. (BLINC).

[This webcast is in celebration of Tezos Philippines’ annual NFT art minting competition – TEZMAS, which has a total reward pool of $3.1K for the winners! Verlin and Henry shared details about this event as well as how to join the contest.]

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Video Podcast

The Guests

Verlin Santos – the creative artist behind the Philippines’ first spoken word poetry NFT album, “KONSEPTO + KONTEKSTO” – will share his journey and the impact of NFTs on the local art scene. As the founder of Titik Poetry and a key player in the spoken word movement, Verlin brings a unique perspective on integrating traditional art forms with cutting-edge blockchain technology.

Henry Banayat, the Director of Business Development at BLINC, and patron of the arts, brings his expertise in blockchain solutions and web development to the table. Henry, with his rich background in IT education and various business fields, will discuss the technical and entrepreneurial aspects of NFTs, providing insights into how these digital assets are shaping the future of art and commerce in the Philippines.

Episode Notes

Powered by Community Events: The Current Situation of the NFT Community in PH

• The community has witnessed more Filipino artists’ NFTs being exhibited on the ground this year. 
• In February, Art Fair Philippines focused on digital arts, where Filipino digital artists Skye Nicolas and Mark Inducil ‌curated special exhibits by CryptoArtPH artists Bjorn Calleja and Jopet Arias; then in July, Modern Contemporary Art Fair (MoCAF) 2023 featured a series of murals integrated with NFTs created by the Crypto Art Philippines; then in October, the same group was also invited to present in the Luzon Art Fair 2023. 
• Santos: Sa tingin ko, ngayong 2023, yung first at second quarter, doon kami mas involved—sa Art Fair Philippines at sa Art in the Park—kasi nandoon iyong biggest exposure namin eh. Pero as a whole, very active pa rin naman halos lahat ng mga una kong nakasama—iyong community, active pa rin. Very promising siya ngayon kasi kahit na bear market, marami pa ring nagpa-participate. 
• Banayat: Well, we are all waiting for the bull run, kaya sabi ko sa mga artists, “you start networking na as early as now.” Just show your work, show your heart on your work, and be ready for the bull market. 

What are the Best Things that Happened in the NFT Art Scene in PH?

• Banayat: One of the things that is very obvious right now sa NFT market dito sa Philippines is that mas mabilis na ang onboarding dahil marami nang mga materials, which made people more aware. 
• Santos: Para sa akin iyong kahit na iyong mga (creators na) gumawa noong bull market tas inabutan ng bear, andyan pa rin, magkakasama pa rin, magkakaibigan na sa totoong buhay, at gumagawa na ng events. 

What are the Challenges that the NFT Art Scene has Experienced?

• Banayat: Sa akin, sa side ng mga creators, ang number one challenge sa amin ngayon ay iyong liquidity ng cino-collect, iyon bang pwede naming i-dispose when we want it, which is very difficult during the bear market. 
• Santos: Kulang pa rin sa stage (ang ating mga artists), parang lagi na lang siyang for the elites. Paano kung wala kang pambayad papunta sa event, lalo na kung sa Makati mo gagawin, o kung sa Manila, tapos kailangan mong magbayad ng registration fee para matuto. Paano naman iyong mga mahuhusay na artists na nasa (malayong) lugar. Kung mas marami lang siguro iyong mag-e-educate, iyong may free na module o syllabus, para mas maabot sila, mas madali. 

TEZMAS 2023: The Artist-Centric NFT Art Celebration

• During, the webcast, Santos and Banayat also promoted the upcoming Tezmas 2023. 
• Tezmas 2023 Announcement: Tezos Philippines, in collaboration with TZ APAC, proudly presents the 3rd edition of the Pinoy Christmas-themed NFT contest. This global event invites artists to create NFTs that celebrate the Filipino Christmas spirit.
• Distinguished Panel of Judges: Featuring an esteemed jury with Sheree Gotuaco of Scarletbox, Ombeline Rosset (Cabline) of OBJKT, Natasha Lau of TZ APAC, Kimi Delgado from Galeria Paloma, Henry Banayat of Bitshares Labs, and artist Jopet Arias of CryptoArtPH.
• Prizes and Theme Details: The contest showcases a substantial prize pool totaling over USD 2,900 in tez, including USD 1,500 for ranked winners, USD 100 for the most shared work, and special prizes of USD 500 and 1,000 tez (equivalent to approximately USD 800) for select participants, with more details to be announced. Centered around the traditional Filipino Christmas ornament, the Parol, the contest invites submissions from November 6 to December 11, 2023, aiming to attract at least 80 entries.
• Participation and Support: Artists can mint their artworks on any NFT marketplace built on Tezos. For assistance, participants are encouraged to join the Tezos Philippines Telegram group or Facebook group.
• How to join: 
  1. The creation period of the visual artwork interpretation of the theme must be between November 6 to December 11, 2023. Participants must mint on Tezos NFT marketplaces like Teia and OBJKT.comopens in a new tab. 
  2. Once done, mint at least 2 editions on any Tezos Platform of your choice A. Creators can opt to do an open edition or set a number of copies or editions of their artworks B. Add the following hashtag on your mint: #tezmas, #tezmas23 
  3. Send edition 1 to the tezmas.tez wallet address. Note: tezmas.tez is the curation wallet for all TezMas entries.
  4. Indicate that you have joined the contest in this Google Form. https://bit.ly/tezmas-23opens in a new tab
  5. Tweet a link to your work with the hashtag #tezmas23 #tezmas and tag @tezosphl @tzapac. (2 works with the most retweets gets a special prize outside the ranked winnings) 
  6. List the remaining editions for at least 1 tez on any Tezos Marketplace platform of your choice. Participants can mint their artwork on any marketplaces built on Tezos blockchain)

Future Trends: What are the Things to Expect in 2024?

• Banayat: Sa 2024, mas mataas na ang awareness level natin sa NFTs. There will be an increased mainstream adoption sa NFTs natin. And of course, mapapansin natin na mai-integrate yung NFT scene sa local culture and tourism, so magkakaroon na rin ng places in real life where you can visit mga NFT artworks na naka-display. 
• Santos: Para sa akin, iyong expansion sa various industries. Siguro, as an artists, siguro iyong mas marami pang platforms na mapuntahan iyong mga likhang sining, mas marami pang representation sa iba’t ibang industries, maganda nga doon iyong art tourism, magkaroon ng AR experience sa mga provinces at sa mga tourist spots. 

Advice to Artists and Collectors in NFT Space

• Santos: Sa mga artists na mag-be-venture sa NFT, gumawa sana sila ng project na may pangalan, iyong alam nilang magiging consistent sila doon.  Bigyan niyo ng chance na dito kayo mag-introduce ng idea niyo sa web3. 
• Banayat: Start collecting now, kasi you can never say na “let’s wait for the bull market before collecting.” Sa mga artists naman, magtipid kayo habang bear market, always ensure na you are setting money aside for emergency use. 

This article is published on BitPinas: Celebrating The NFT Art Scene in the Philippines in 2023 | BitPinas Webcast 31

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