koert vermeulen illuminates the saudi skies with star in motion

belgian artist koert vermeulen has unveiled star in motion — a light installation hanging at 256 meters within the void of riyadh’s kingdom tower. programmed to simulate the birth and extinction of a star on the hour, every hour, the lighting piece reflects 3 billion years of existence. the installation is part of the noor riyadh festival, an event lighting up the sky of the saudi capital with artworks displayed under the theme of ‘under one sky’. 

images by koert vermeulen

designed at ACTLD — koert vermeulen’s studio — star in motion is a five-tonne, six-meter-wide light installation comprising 520 meters of LED strips and 16 moving head fixtures for a total of 1.2 million lumens radiating through the entire city. the massive piece supposed a logistical feast as it had to be engineered to withstand heavy desert winds. it had to be brought up the tower in 317 parts on a lift and carried up by hand up the last two floors. the rigging system was sourced from shipping container equipment. ‘even performances by the rolling stones don’t use this kind of rigging,’ said vermeulen.

during the day the star in motion resembles a diamond necklace. during the night it becomes a shining beacon of light that creates a phenomenal show to enjoy across the entire city.

project info:

name: star in motion

created by: koert vermeulen

designed at: ACTLD