Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma by Mariusz Szypura

Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma by Mariusz Szypura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Brončana nagrada A' Design Award in Dizajn Ambalaže Competition Category.

BroncaAmbalaža· 2026

Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma

by Mariusz Szypura

Client: Black Element Label

Brončana nagrada A' Design Award Winner in Ambalaža Category

7,049
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #179587

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma

Umjetnička djela prikazana u uloženim listovima albuma dokumentiraju seriju velikoformatnih radova nastalih od otpadnih niti proizvedenih tijekom postupka tokarenog rezanja vinila, fizičkog negativa žlijeba. Dizajn tretira ambalažu kao produžetak glazbe, ujedinjujući zvuk, materijal i proces u jedinstvenom fizičkom objektu. Album reinterpretira djela Fryderyka Chopina uz umjetnike povezane s Portisheadom, Sonic Youthom, Battlesom, Beckom, Davidom Bowiejem i Tortoiseom.

The Recognition

About the Brončana nagrada A' Design Award

Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma je pobjednik Brončane nagrade A' Design Award, visoko prestižnog priznanja koje se dodjeljuje izvanrednim dizajnima što se odlikuju kreativnošću, domišljatošću i oštroumnošću. Brončani pobjednici izdašno su vješti i upečatljivo kreativni artefakti koji potvrđuju golemo iskustvo, maštu i snalažljivost svojih dizajnera. Očekuje se da Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma bude visoko cijenjen, voljen i njegovan predmet koji je izuzetno profesionalan i inovativan. Ovaj dizajn koji je osvojio Brončanu nagradu A' Design Award uključuje najbolje prakse u umjetnosti, znanosti, dizajnu i tehnologiji i izvrstan je zbog pažnje posvećene detaljima. Chopin Residue Omot glazbenog albuma sjajno zadovoljava potrebe, dotiče želje, očarava osjećaje i privlači znatiželju.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The cover of Chopin Residue is generated from the album’s core idea: residue as what remains after deconstruction. Created through the same lathe-cut process that produces the sound, the artwork uses vinyl waste as its visual material. Reinterpreting the music of Fryderyk Chopin with artists linked to projects such as Portishead, Sonic Youth, Battles, Beck, David Bowie, and Tortoise, the package becomes a physical extension of the composition, uniting sound, material, and process.
Dimensions & Packaging: Physical formats include: Vinyl LP sleeve approx. 315 x 315 x 5 mm; CD digipack approx. 142 x 125 x 10 mm; cassette case approx. 110 x 70 x 17 mm. All formats were designed as tactile objects, with dimensions following industry standards to emphasize material presence and consistency across editions.
Tags: residue concept, album packaging design, lathe-cut vinyl, material-driven design, experimental music artwork, process-based design, sound as material, physical music object
Production Technology: The design was developed through a process-based methodology, treating sound recording as a material practice. Vinyl shavings produced during the lathe-cut process were collected, preserved, and used to create physical artworks. These works were then photographed and translated into the album packaging. The production emphasized minimal intervention, tactile materials, and small-batch manufacturing, allowing process and material to define the visual language.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating an abstract musical concept into a physical object without illustration or decoration. Internally, this required rethinking historical album design and treating sound production as material practice. Externally, limitations included small-scale manufacturing, legal constraints of physical formats, and the unpredictability of lathe-cut processes. Balancing conceptual clarity with technical constraints required continuous testing and adaptation.
Research: Type of Research: practice-based artistic research.
Research Objectives: to translate musical deconstruction into physical form.
Methodology: sound recording treated as a material process.
Data & Tools: lathe-cut vinyl recording, material observation, photography.
Participants: the artist and collaborating musicians.
Results: vinyl residue became visual material.
Insights & Impact: the research links sound, object, and design, showing how production traces can shape meaning in music packaging and contemporary design.
Inspiration: The project was inspired by the idea of residue as a creative outcome - what remains after a process of reduction and transformation. The design emerged from research into lathe-cut vinyl as a physical recording method, treating sound production as material practice. The motivation was to translate an abstract musical concept into a tangible object, where recording, waste, and form become a unified design language.
Project Duration: The project was developed between 2023 and 2025. Music recording and vinyl cutting were carried out during this period, followed by the creation of the visual artworks and packaging design. The album and its physical editions were completed and released in November 2025, accompanied by exhibitions in NY and Osaka and presentations of the related artworks.
Operation Flow: The object is experienced by opening, holding, and listening. The package reveals the music while visually showing traces of how it was made. Images and materials guide the user from sound to its physical remains. Interaction is slow and tactile, encouraging attention and reflection. By connecting listening with touch and sight, the object creates a deeper, more memorable experience than a standard album cover.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Mariusz Szypura, 2025
Image Credits: Image #1: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #2: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #3: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #4: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #5: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.

Video Credits: Concept, Direction, Music, and Visuals by Mariusz Szypura, 2025.