Mist-and-light Installation Reimagines Arc ZERO as a Floating, Contemplative Landmark in One of Seoul’s Fastest-growing Districts

An ethereal ring of light now hovers above a rooftop in Seoul. Earlier this year, Australian artist James Tapscott unveiled a new iteration of his signature work, Arc ZERO: Eclipse, an installation that has since been awarded Design of the Year at the prestigious LIT Lighting Design Awards, a global benchmark for excellence in the field.

Arc ZERO's fiery glow in the Seoul evening
Photo credit: Studio JT

The ring frames the view of the iconic Godeok-Topyeong Bridge
Photo credit: Studio JT

By day the work cools the space from the summer heat
Photo credit: Studio JT

Installed atop a new mixed-use development in Godeok, a rapidly expanding area southeast of the city, Eclipse transforms a rooftop garden into a site of quiet spectacle. Using only mist, light, and water, the work creates an immersive experience that feels both otherworldly and grounded in familiar elements. The installation reflects Tapscott’s long-standing interest in examining humanity’s relationship with nature, offering viewers a fleeting moment of coexistence rather than technological illusion.

Arc ZERO is part of a concisely curated collection of works in the new development.
Photo credit: Studio JT

Unlike many contemporary light works that rely heavily on digital simulation, Tapscott favors elemental materials used directly. This approach results in deceptively simple forms that deliver complex, multi-sensory experiences. In Eclipse, a half-ring structure is placed within a custom-built infinity reflecting pool, with its mirrored image completing the circle. At night, the ring appears to float in space, untethered from gravity or horizon, emitting ghostlike flames of illuminated mist in every direction.

Photo credit: Studio JT

A perfect circle, reflected
Photo credit: Studio JT

The work marks an evolution of Tapscott’s original Arc ZERO, first installed in Japan in 2017 under the name Nimbus. While earlier versions were often architectural in scale—wrapping fully around bridges and enclosing viewers within the form—Eclipse shifts toward a more open, visual exploration of space, light, and reflection. Its central void, once a near-solid darkness in controlled environments, now frames a distant bridge, integrating the surrounding cityscape into the composition.

A gentle wind produces dramatic effects of light and movement
Photo credit: Studio JT

A key feature of this version is the ring’s bespoke diamond-profile structure. Though exceptionally difficult to fabricate, the design minimizes surface reflections, ensuring viewers are not confronted with their own image. The effect preserves the illusion and deepens immersion, allowing the work to remain visually uninterrupted.

A calming presence in the rooftop garden
Photo credit: Studio JT

Positioned at a corner of the rooftop garden, Eclipse is visible not only to visitors and residents but also from afar. Even from passing cars on a nearby freeway, the illuminated mist’s movement and texture register as a striking, almost cinematic presence.

A child looks on in wonder
Photo credit: Studio JT

Previous versions of Arc ZERO have been installed worldwide. A permanent installation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, received the 2023 CODA Award for landscape art, further cementing the work’s international recognition. With Eclipse in Seoul, Tapscott continues to refine a practice that balances restraint and wonder—inviting viewers to pause, look, and momentarily share space with light itself.

Studio JT 

Studio JT was formed in 2017 by Australian artist James Tapscott. Over the last 20 years, Tapscott has evolved a multi-disciplinary practice combining natural phenomena and light to create new experiences of the familiar. His works have been installed throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the USA, inspiring audiences and winning awards. He is currently working on permanent installations in Australia, China, and the USA, and a number of upcoming temporary works and exhibitions around the world.