Manufacture Your Own Capital

The social, political, and especially economic signs of the world speak a clear language. We are now moving from the possession-oriented thinking of post-industrial generations into an era of sharing, lending, and trading. This communal consumption behavior is referred to as the ‘Me-Too Economy’. No one necessarily wants to give up, but the willingness to share with others is growing. This well-recognized phenomenon is due in no small part to the now-famous social platforms on the internet. For more information, see the article “Me and You” by Kerstin Bund in ZEIT No. 51 of December 15, 2011.

In line with this productive social approach, we can proudly look back on a successful year. We managed to officially register over 365 Structuristic works (see: http://www.structuristicart.com/werke-2011/).

This equates to basically one piece per day. This impressive count for 2011 is naturally based on the diligence, perseverance, and motivation of all the many participating Structurists. That the qualitative standard was not neglected is due to our shared determination to always produce the best.

According to the changes mentioned above toward a new understanding of consumption, we are pleased to note that more and more Structuristic works are being used within our circle, and also externally as exchange and even as means of payment (even for services!).

With these Structuristic art objects, not only art but also accessible and easily tradable tangible assets are created. And this, thanks to our strict indexing of controlled (non-speculative) value growth, still falls within a price range that was previously hardly accessible for ordinary people. Since expensive access to, for example, equity investments, precious metals, luxury goods, speculative artworks, or even real estate has always been and remains open only to those who already have assets. For the general public of average earners, for whom larger monetary accumulations and other capital reserves were hardly or not at all possible, there were, apart from traditional building savings contracts, pension insurance, and savings accounts, almost no sustainable options for truly long-term wealth creation.

Each registered and thus genuine Structuristic work is therefore subject to an intentionally decelerated increase in value. Above all, this index ensures that the entry price remains low. In this way, it is easily possible for anyone with a modest budget to participate in the success of our revolutionary craft. That means every Structurist is at the same time both producer and beneficiary!

The idea for this entirely new understanding of a self-produced artifact as an exchange and payment object, i.e., as a trade item, came to the founder of the Structuristic Art Doctrine, Felix Stoffel, from his family background in Eastern Swiss textile manufacturing. During the last two wars, raw materials for textile production were scarce. Therefore, his ancestors invented the famous ‘Stoffel-Tüchli.’ These were small-format but high-quality products in the form of elaborately crafted, hand-rolled, and often beautifully embroidered handkerchiefs that people could still afford even in times of crisis.

The most important aspect was that this allowed numerous people to make a living even during the economically difficult years (farmers in particular were grateful to produce these highly popular items at home during the fallow winter periods).

Felix Stoffel now wants to renew and even expand this originally industrial tradition through craftsmanship. Thus, Structurists produce high-quality, admired, and beloved objects in their homes or in Structuristic centers that not only steadily increase in value but are directly tradable and thus can serve as a new currency.

This idea may initially seem somewhat unusual. But in the coming era, in which traditional money loses value drastically and no adequate substitute is offered, this approach will certainly soon become a welcome necessity. A pleasing fact in unpleasing times. Thus, the optimal combination of useful and pleasant.

Therefore, we would like to encourage Structuristic artists and interested parties to continue producing many Structuristic works in the new year to present them as widely as possible and specifically exchange them for other items, as well as use them to purchase goods and services.

Of course, every Structuristic work has been, is, and will remain a welcome gift for all special occasions suitable for it.

We wish everyone a happy new year with memorable moments and much joy in creative work.

With warm greetings

Sandra Zellweger, Laila Capadrutt, Judith Capadrutt, Onna Rageth