An immersive light-and-mist installation at CityPlace in Houston transforms water, air, and light into an interactive public art experience.

Nimbus and Eclipse, part of Australian artist James Tapscott’s Arc ZERO series, feature large-scale rings that engage visitors through light, mist, and reflection.

The installations were recently unveiled at CityPlace in The Woodlands, about 45 miles from Houston. The project marks Tapscott’s first commission in Texas and the first time Nimbus and Eclipse have been displayed together.

The works occupy separate water features within CityPlace’s park, which also serves as a landscaped water treatment facility. Weingarten Art Group commissioned the installations.

Tapscott has exhibited the Arc ZERO series internationally since 2009. Permanent installations are in Seoul, South Korea, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, while temporary works have appeared across Asia, the United States, and Europe. The Kaohsiung installation won a 2023 CODA Award for landscape art, while the Seoul installation received the LIT Awards’ Design of the Year honor in 2025.

“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.

At Cat’s Eye, Eclipse forms a halo that appears to float above the water. A semicircular steel arc releases a fine mist that diffuses daylight and evening lighting. The effect creates the illusion of a complete ring reflected across the pond.

At Pond 5, across from the Marriott, Nimbus rises 4.6 m (15 ft) above a jetty. Visitors can walk through the ring and experience the mist and changing light up close. Under the right conditions, the installation produces rainbow effects.

The Arc ZERO installation runs to August 16.