Rheinkomet shines for the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017

Following the great success of the light art installation "Rheinkomet" ® on the Düsseldorf Rhine Tower on NRW Day in August 2016 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and its capital Düsseldorf, the light sculpture will shine from 26 June to 2 July 2017 for the start of the Tour de France in the state capital.

Mayor Thomas Geisel: "The Rheinkomet is undoubtedly a highlight of the start of the Tour. The spectacular light installation by the artist Klaus H.R. Gendrung and DUS-Illuminated was already a visitor magnet on NRW Day - and was probably the most popular photo motif of the summer. I am delighted that the Rheinkomet, which is published in the book 'Gesicht der Landeshauptstadt' (Face of the state capital) by Edmund Spohr and Hatto Küffner, is now set to also become internationally famous."

The light show Rheinkomet is an artistic illumination and an outdoor work of art on the Düsseldorf Rhine Tower which was initiated by Dr.-Ing. Edmund Spohr and implemented by Klaus H. R. Gendrung with the approval of the Düsseldorf community foundation DUS-illuminated®, which holds the trademark and design rights, and which financed the light sculpture in 2016 through sponsorship moneys, private donations and loans.

The special feature: the Rheinkomet® is an architectural light sculpture that moves in three-dimensional space. The sequences range from focused beam and beam with fan to rotating helix and crystalline splitting. For this, 54 Falcon Beam 2 spotlights are installed on the uppermost platform of the television tower at an altitude of 194 metres. Despite the far-reaching images in the sky, the installation requires only 440,000 watts of eco-power.

The programming of the Movinglights is carried out by means of a GrandMA 2 light - this enables different choreographies to be stored in advance and played as required. On the occasion of the Tour de France, in addition to the classic Rheinkomet in white, the following colour combinations will be displayed:
• Colours of the city of Düsseldorf
• French national colours
• Colours of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Jersey colours of the Tour de France (yellow, green and white-red polka dot)
• European colours (blue-yellow dotted)

The artist Klaus H.R. Gendrung: "Lighthouses have always stood for safety and security. They symbolise stability and openness to the world, and not least, a welcoming culture. These are all qualities which we claim for our town Düsseldorf and which will also be felt at the start of the Tour de France."

Dr. Edmund Spohr, DUS-Illuminated: "The immense hype surrounding the Rheinkomet shows that we have chosen the right, clear and distinct new landmark for Düsseldorf at this time."

The Rheinkomet is financed as part of the overall financing of the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017, for which the revenues are currently over EUR 7.9 million.

People are welcome to share photos of the Rheinkomet on the Internet via social media, as thousands of citizens did on the NRW Day. Gladly also on the Facebook page of the Rheinkomet. However, commercial use of images - unlike, for example, photographs for private use - is not permitted, especially as the light installation Rheinkomet is not permanently accessible to the public.

DUS-illuminated® is, however, happy to issue corresponding permits. If required, please contact the foundation at dusilluminated@drspohr.de.