Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici by Mariusz Szypura

Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici by Mariusz Szypura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Designatio Involucri Competition Category.

AesInvolucrum· 2026

Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici

by Mariusz Szypura

Client: Black Element Label

Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Involucrum 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 Operculum Albi Musici

Ars in foliis albi inserta seriem operum magni moduli depingit, ex fragmentis fili creatorum quae in processu vinyli torno secti gignuntur, negativum corporeum sulci. Consilium involucrum tractat ut extensionem musicae, sonum, materiam, et processum in uno obiecto corporeo coniungens. Album opera Friderici Chopin denuo interpretatur cum artificibus qui ad Portishead, Sonic Youth, Battles, Beck, David Bowie, et Tortoise pertinent.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum

Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. Chopin Residue Operculum Albi Musici necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.

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.