On 22 November 2023, art meets football in a not-so-typical fashion as Bundesliga's VfB Stuttgart unfurls its artistic 'StuttgART' jersey for the 2023/24 season. The special jersey is set to debut in the home game against Werder Bremen on the 2nd of December. This year marks a milestone, the 130th anniversary of VfB Stuttgart, and it seems fitting that they would celebrate with an intricately special jersey.
This jersey is nothing short of extraordinary, stepping out of bounds of the team's history. What makes it extraordinary, you may ask? Well, the clever fusion of their name with the concept of art isn't just a witty wordplay. Joining forces with globally acclaimed artist Tim Bengel from Esslingen led to the birth of this masterpiece, designed with a distinctive blend of black, white, and gold, paying homage to Bengel's signature style. The black and white design borrows from the Filderkraut, a regional superfood repeatedly featured in Bengel's art.
Digging deeper into its design unveils an incredibly intricate touch - each jersey boasts a unique pattern. But all patterns are pieces of a larger aesthetic jigsaw puzzle, as each jersey holds a distinct variant of the design. Tim Bengel expressed his joy on the project: "I always look for interfaces in my art. Since I have been fascinated by VfB and its fans since my childhood, it’s an honour to be able to design a jersey for the club I love. This brings art to the pitch and thus combines two fantastic disciplines. I’m really looking forward to match day and hope that we will inspire many VfB fans with the design and also raise awareness for art, culture and our regional superfood, Kraut!"
This striking piece isn't just an item of clothing - it's a limited edition collector's item, with only 1,893 units available in a clear reference to the year the club was brought to life. Ergo, the striking price tag of 189.30 euros, significantly loftier than the price of a standard jersey. The scarce nature and price point of the StuttgART jersey enables 10% of the proceeds to bolster VfB’s “Brustring der Herzen” foundation. This pledge ensures an uplift to social initiatives that are fundamental to the region. The jersey itself carries the emblem of the foundation on its sleeve, with the words STUTTGART emblazoned across the chest.
No StuttgART jersey is without its unique identifier - a digitized signature embodied by an NFT chip. Each jersey is also delivered with an elite collector's box containing a hand-signed certificate authenticating its originality. Speaking on the novelty, Alexander Wehrle, VfB's Chief Executive, stated: “Stuttgart is one of the most emotional football locations in the republic and at the same time a centre of art and culture. The restrictions and consequences of the Corona pandemic have shown us at the latest that sport, art and culture are a common part of our urban society and our everyday life and belong together. The VfB is a cultural asset of the region. The StuttgART jersey symbolises this in a unique way. With our foundation, we give back some of the support that VfB receives to people across the region - and promote social issues, democracy and society. It is therefore particularly important to us to use this unique jersey for our foundation."
In a manner that is so easily visualized, the StuttgART shirt, in its brilliant release, swept through the market with an electrifying pace, exhausting its stock in but a fleeting moment. You see, an artisan's touch, bold yet astute, makes itself recognized almost instantly.
