Immersive public art created through the interplay of water, light and mist

Australian land and light artist James Tapscott has unveiled "Arc ZERO: Nimbus" and "Arc ZERO: Eclipse" at City Place in The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. The project marks Tapscott's first commission in Texas and the first time that two iterations of his acclaimed Arc ZERO series have been presented together in a single location. Installed across separate bodies of water within City Place's parkland, the works form a unified exploration of water in different states—liquid and vapor, stillness and movement, proximity and distance. The site, known for its ambitious public art program, provides a unique setting where infrastructure, landscape, and art converge.

Both works glow into the evening, the site's lines echoed by the rings.
Photo credit: Studio JT

Arc ZERO: Eclipse — Completing the Circle Through Reflection

"Arc ZERO: Eclipse" is a monumental semicircular structure installed directly within a reflecting pond. Its lower half is completed by the water's surface, creating the illusion of a perfect circle suspended in space. High-pressure mist continuously emanates from the ring, while shifting winds alter both the vapor and its reflection, ensuring that the artwork never appears the same twice. Positioned at the highest point within the park, the work reveals itself differently depending on the viewer's location. The complete circular form only becomes visible when visitors arrive at the same elevation as the sculpture. At night, integrated LED lighting transforms the ring into a luminous presence whose reflection doubles its visual impact across the water.

Arc ZERO: Eclipse from above
Photo credit: Studio JT

The "Cat's Eye" pond presents a perfect site for the work
Photo credit: Studio JT

The dialogue between both works is special here
Photo credit: Studio JT

An Instagram moment
Photo credit: Studio JT

Arc ZERO: Nimbus — An Immersive Bodily Experience

Unlike Eclipse, "Arc ZERO: Nimbus" invites direct physical engagement. Installed above the water along a boardwalk, the full circular structure allows visitors to walk directly through it. Mist envelops the body, turning the artwork into a sensory environment rather than a purely visual object. Depending on weather and lighting conditions, halos and refracted colors emerge within the vapor, while wind continuously reshapes the cloud-like formations. After dark, internal illumination fills the mist with a warm glow, creating subtle atmospheric shifts throughout the installation's operating cycle.

People enjoying the mist, glowing in the afternoon sun
Photo credit: Nicki Evans

Locals are loving the immersive quality of the work
Photo credit: Nicki Evans

A skater rolls past the Eclipse
Photo credit: Nicki Evans

A Dialogue Through Water

Together, the two works create a broader narrative about water and perception. "Arc ZERO: Eclipse" frames water as an image through reflection, while "Arc ZERO: Nimbus" releases it into the atmosphere as a medium of experience. The landscape of City Place—organized around water treatment, circulation, and ecological infrastructure—acts as a third component of the installation, connecting both works through a shared environmental logic.

The steel ring catches the last rays of sun
Photo credit: Studio JT

The eclipse acts as a luminous portal, hovering in the night
Photo credit: Nicki Evans

The artwork sits in perfect harmony with the watery site
Photo credit: Studio JT

An Internationally Acclaimed Series

Since 2009, the Arc ZERO series has been exhibited internationally, including permanent installations in Seoul and Kaohsiung. Temporary installations have also been presented across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States. The Kaohsiung installation received the CODA Award for Landscape Art in 2023, while the Seoul edition won "Design of the Year" at the 2025 LIT Awards. "For the first time, both works are in the same place, and what's become clear is how completely they respond to each other," says James Tapscott. "Eclipse needs the water to complete it. Nimbus needs the body—you have to walk into it."

The cooling mist offers respite from the Texas sun
Photo credit: Studio JT

At night the mist is lit with a fiery glow
Photo credit: Nicki Evans

About James Tapscott

James Tapscott is an Australian land and light artist based in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. His practice focuses on immersive public installations that utilize light, water, and mist to create site-responsive experiences. His works have been presented throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States.

The artist, James Tapscott - in front of the Eclipse
Photo credit: Nicki Evans