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The blue art project

#BlueMakesADifference

How the color blue becomes an inspiration

Dialyzers are life-saving pieces of medical and technological art. The advanced design of the FX Dialyzers adds a dimension that reflects the thought, care and quality that went into its construction. As the most prominent visible characteristic, the color blue of the FX Dialyzer caps became the inspiration point for our unique blue art project. We asked artists to interpret the benefits of the FX Dialyzers in their own way — be it figurative or abstract, poetic or surreal, two- or three-dimensional — with stunning results. 

Each artist granted another level of meaning, a unique interpretation or a new perspective to apply to the distinctive functional properties of the FX Dialyzers. Warm and sensitive, intellectual and meaningful approaches came to life.

Blue art project highlights

Watch this video to see the blue art project highlights.

About the art of engineering

Dr. James Kennedy is Senior Manager in the Product Development at Fresenius Medical Care. In this video, he explains his thoughts about the connection between fine art and premium medical products. For him developing dialyzers could also start with inspiration, combining creativity with craftsmanship. He has a passion for designing life-saving products. So why not talk about the art of engineering?

Art gallery

David Apel

”Endless”, Digital reproduction

 

A constantly repetitive process results in infinity. This shows the breadth and variety of possibilities that can arise from a single object – as demonstrated in the diverse FX Dialyzers portfolio.

Anna Valeria Sixl

"Plain Pores”, Paint on perforated metal plate

 

The work shows one of the many hollow fibers found in the dialyzers within the membranes’ smooth pores, which are essential to remove excess water and toxins successfully.

Fenja Übel

”Untitled”, Airbrush on paper

 

This untitled work was painted on paper using an airbrush gun. The picture language uses a formal vocabulary, which had arisen in dealing with the peculiarities of the dialysis device.

Saskia Eich

“Speed of Light”, Digital Drawing

 

Fine fibers become the center of a very dynamic swirl. The swirl itself is a symbol for an optimized liquid flow, set right in the eye of the composition.

Maximilian Hasenstab

“Taifun”, Spray color and oil on metal plate

 

A representation of the dynamics of water in which the observer’s eye keeps moving while viewing the work.

Tassilo Borsch

“No Buckling Anymore”, Acrylic

 

The advantages of the lateral blood inlet port have been visualized as a juxtaposition: A shift from an interrupted blood flow (above) to the continuous blood flow (below), which is shown as a sweeping curve. A course paintbrush, two tones of blue, and varying brush strokes were used.

Johannes Bruns

“Life”, Acrylic on canvas

 

The unique transparency and lightness of the material open up a whole new world. It’s about sustainability, the protection of life and nature. The white stripe represents the light-weight housing material of the dialyzer. What is special about this piece is the incorporation of actual hollow fibers.

Lydia Gavrileva

“Through the time”, Ink drawing

 

The header design with the radial distribution is reminiscent of a water vortex. The ink circles represent the power of movement and the connection between the spiral form of the distributed blood in the cap and the circle of life.

Johannes Bruns

“Flow 1”, Acryl on canvas

 

The theme is the continuous flow of blood and life. The blue strap in the middle represents the uniform flow of blood and a continuously calm treatment. Dialysis is a life-giving stream that runs through the lives of those it affects. The abstract language of the form invites various interpretations.

Svenja Nolte

“Running Waves”, Acrylic

 

Emotions are in focus – this image should relax and convey peace. A combination of a variety of used cardboards and flowing blue tones. The image shows calmly lapping waves, symbolizing the microwave structure of the fibres.

Robert Lichtenberg

“Flying Caps”, Photography

 

The lightness and sustainability of the material is represented by floating caps, which were captured with a special lens that gives the image a feeling of immediate airiness and clarity.

Jonas Goldmann

“Dynamic Spiral”, pouring technique

 

This image is about the radial distribution of blood in the dialyzer. With the pouring technique, colors are poured onto the undercoat and distributed over the surface by a swinging motion. The speed and dynamic of the flowing blood are at the center of this concept.

Ingrid Spät

“Root Source”, Airbrush gun on canvas

 

Artist Ingrid Spät used an airbrush gun to create her painting, „Wurzelquelle“. Ingrid was particularly interested in a presentation at close range, on a microbiological level. „ The three-dimensional wave structure of the hollow fibers and the ends of these hollow fibers, which are more easily achieved by the special cap construction, are shown in simplified form.“

Ngoc Anh Tran

“Hopeful Steam”, oil on canvas

 

Gentle steam evokes peaceful image and puts us in a mellow mood. It stands for everything that is natural, pure, mild and clean – symbolizing hope and the future.

Anna Scheffel

“Permanent Waves”, oil on canvas

 

„Permanent Waves“ might sound like a contradiction in terms to many. However, such is the beauty of art: it helps us to convey complexity. Anna Scheffel succeeded in expressing the durable, yet sustainably reduced fiber structure of our dialyzers.

Alina Schwarz

“Vision”, oil on canvas

 

A purposefully naïve execution of dialysis filter theme as a binding element or surrogate for the ailing kidney, as well as a life-giving central part of dialysis. This symbolizes the perfect connection between the elements that are necessary to perform dialysis.

Featured artists

Young artists briefing

We wanted to see how young art students would interpret the multiple benefits of our dialysers. See this feature film about their briefing session.
Young artists first creative reactions

We first approached a group of young art students to interpret the multiple benefits of our dialysers in an artistic way.
See this feature film about their first creative session.
Robert Lichtenberg

The photographer Robert Lichtenberg started as a photo engineer before finding his love for making photo art. See this feature film about how he creates his awesome blue cap photo series.

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A history of blue

Over the course of history, many famous artists have expressed their preference for the color blue and just as many books have focused on the topic of blue art. Perhaps one reason for the popularity of this color could be the actual process of evolution itself. In pre-historic times the color blue signaled the break of dawn to cave-dwelling hunter-gatherers: blue meant that a clear day lay ahead. Paramount to survival, clear blue water symbolized life.

However, for the very first cave artists, blue was not necessarily a preferred, never mind a go-to color, to decorate their stony abodes. That’s because the color blue was very hard to produce. In fact, very little amounts of blue material are to be found in natural elements like leaves or soil in order to produce a blue color pigment. Later on, artists found innovative ways to produce their own blue color. When kings eventually decided to immortalize blue by affording it a royal position - blue's royal status was definitely given a big boost.

However, the real “true blue” – ultramarine – takes blue to yet another level. Great Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Raphael, including Baroque masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt, expressed their passion for the color blue. In modern times creative master Yves Klein positioned himself as the primary master of blue art ceremonies. His creative thinking often draws inspiration from the idea of endless skies. For him, blue has no dimensions, it signifies the ‘beyond’. Whichever way you look at it, blue can be interpreted in various, imaginative ways and lends itself more than well to creative expression.

The art of engineering in blue: the Robert Lichtenberg photo series

State-of-the art innovation

The multiple benefits of modern dialysis treatment options are what matters most to us. These are crucial factors that make a difference in terms of beneficial patient outcomes.

Perfection in detail

From a design perspective, it’s all about perfecting the details. Why? Because small details can make a big difference in medical outcomes.

Inside out

Our holistic approach to health care means we not only care about the individual, but also about society at large, as well as our environment. We show this through sustainable product design and an improved eco-performance.

Benefits for healthcare professionals

Deeper information for doctors, nurses and carers

Our dialyzers have been used in more than 500 million treatments worldwide. As the world’s leading provider of dialysis products, Fresenius Medical Care aims to make a difference — for patients and healthcare professionals.

If you are a healthcare professional, please find more information about our product portfolio and several state-of-the-art technologies on an individualized landing page.

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