Schoolproject: CD-Award (2008)

One of the few none-furniture assignments was the CD-Award project.

Task in short: "A new award show is host and it needs a band-specific award in which their winning CD is placed"
We could choose our own favorite band and make an award which would resemble the bands characteristics.

 I chose t.A.T.u.

Back in the days I was quite fan of them and I especially liked them because the controversy they brought with them.

For their CD I choose their first album "200 km/h in the wrong lane"

CD cover

I started with a collage to show what they were all about:

Collage with all things t.A.T.u. related

After that I had to decide how to present the CD in a "spectacular" way.

It could have been something Russian like the Kremlin in Moscow, or something with fences and school uniforms as they were seen in their first video "All the things she said". But as a fan you know slightly more about them and know more video's than just their first. So I came up with the idea to use things from their song "30 minutes". This video never got popular here, but it's about Yulia being angry at Lena for having a boyfriend (they were promoted as a lesbian couple, which they actually weren't.). Yulia decides to blow up a Merry-go-round as Lena and her guy are making out.

Because of that I decided to make a Merry-go-round in which the CD is placed. Once the top part is taken off some plastic red flames will drop like it exploded.

I started drawing and taking side notes on things to consider to use in the design. 

Sketch with sidenotes

The whole thing is made in green colors, because their first album is also shot with a green filter.

Next to that I placed the CD a bit higher so their faces would be able to show through the "windows" in the center of the Merry-go-round.

The letters are red and display famous quotes of them like :"t.A.T.u. is art!". These letters also resemble the ones on the album.
Most of it is made from wood, but the top and flags are made out of foam-rubber and the horses are made from blue building foam.

Closed Merry-go-round

Merry-go-round with its top removed.

When opened a small string is unleashed and plastic flames drop to the side revealing the Album.
To make it more characteristic I put the CD on a Russian flag and a pink triangle keeps it in place; that pink triangle is a symbol of the gay community.

Beneath I placed another picture of t.A.T.u.


Time has passed and looking back I know I could do a whole lot better, and more detailed, than what I made back then. None the less there must be in consideration the time and product limit and also that this actually was the most elaborated award off the whole class. To pass one person actually handed in a plastic crown from the local carnival-shop and placed in on a simple square pillow her mom made for her.