Environment illumination device for a motor vehicle, wherein the environment illumination device is provided for producing a light distribution (LV, LV') on the ground in the area surrounding the motor vehicle and has a projection module which comprises a light-emitting means with a number of light sources (10a, 10b) and an array of projection optical units, wherein a respective projection optical unit comprises an object structure and an associated projection lens, such that, upon illumination of the array with the light-emitting means, the object structures can be projected onto the ground by the associated projection lenses and the light distribution (LV, LV') can thus be produced, characterized in that - the array of projection optical units comprises a plurality of subarrays (11a, 11b), which are illuminable separately with at least one light source (10a, 10b) of the light-emitting means that is associated with the respective subarray (11a, 11b); - the array has at least two different types of subarrays (11a, 11b) which, upon illumination with the at least one associated light source (10a, 10b), generate different projections on the ground, wherein the object structures of the projection optical units within a respective subarray (11a, 11b) are identical, but the object structures of the projection optical units of the different types of subarrays (11a, 11b) differ from one another; - a first number of subarrays and a second number of subarrays are provided, which are controllable such that, when the environment illumination device is switched on, only the first number of subarrays can be activated by switching on the associated light source or light sources or only the second number of subarrays can be activated by switching on the associated light source or light sources; - the first number of subarrays is configured such that, upon their activation, a light pattern can be produced on the ground, and the second number of subarrays is configured such that, upon their activation, a homogeneous light distribution (LV') can be produced on the ground. - the array of projection optical units comprises a plurality of subarrays (11a, 11b), which are illuminable separately with at least one light source (10a, 10b) of the light-emitting means that is associated with the respective subarray (11a, 11b); - the array has at least two different types of subarrays (11a, 11b) which, upon illumination with the at least one associated light source (10a, 10b), generate different projections on the ground, wherein the object structures of the projection optical units within a respective subarray (11a, 11b) are identical, but the object structures of the projection optical units of the different types of subarrays (11a, 11b) differ from one another; - a first number of subarrays and a second number of subarrays are provided, which are controllable such that, when the environment illumination device is switched on, only the first number of subarrays can be activated by switching on the associated light source or light sources or only the second number of subarrays can be activated by switching on the associated light source or light sources; - the first number of subarrays is configured such that, upon their activation, a light pattern can be produced on the ground, and the second number of subarrays is configured such that, upon their activation, a homogeneous light distribution (LV') can be produced on the ground.