Jan Vincent Gonzales photographed by Ryan Luy
While the rest of the globe slowed in lockdown mode, New York based fashion consultant and digital entrepreneur Jan Vincent Gonzales, who previously worked for public relations firm Ritual Projects in Paris, was at his prime “mbps speed” working from home. His team just launched Mercado Vicente, an online creative index which connects multidisciplinary filipinx artists and designers from all over the world. Gathering the portfolios of hundreds of young emerging talents, Mercado Vicente empowers its community with global opportunities by offering visibility and representation.
A work by Anna Bautista courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
Inspired by the palengke, which are ubiquitous wet markets in the Philippines, Jan Vincent Gonzales’ vision for the index is for it to serve as “the market of filipinx creativity”. It’s meant to be a venue where artists can see fellow artists or meet organizations in search of creative individuals. Imagine a photographer seeking for a stylist to work on a shoot or a marketer in search of a video editor – with the index, freelancers and marketers are given a place to discover, trade and bargain for a wide array of services under the creative industries.
A work by Anjelica Florendo courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
In addition to connecting talent with demand, one interesting aspect of the platform is its search function that allows clients and creatives to choose from its curation in an offbeat and rather entertaining way. Anyone can look for their artist or designer of choice by their names, preferred pronouns, medium, location, provincial origin, and their favorite Filipino food (surprise!) among others. That is what you call extra mileage in promotions.
A work by Erwin Canlas courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
The index went live last April 25 with an online launch party featuring a D.J. set of OPM or Original Pilipino Music by Simon Te. Attendees got first dibs in viewing the index’s gallery of works, as well as hang out with some of Mercado Vicente’s creatives online. As it claimed a space in the World Wide Web, Jan Vincent Gonzales’ is a digital force that will inevitably shape the economy of art and design.
A work by Rod Malanao courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
A work by Erwin Canlas courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
Browse through the MERCADOVICENTE.COM index and discover Filipinx Creatives.
Cover Photos: Artworks by (L-R) Elyssa Padillo, Jeline Catt, and Anna Bautistia courtesy of www.mercadovicente.com
Lorraine is an arts marketer based in Manila, Philippines. She loves arts and culture and is the daughter of an Olympic champion in the field of arts during the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. In 2019, she attended a certificate program in Strategic Business Management from Harvard's Extension School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
