James Tapscott to Debut “Arc Zero” Light and Mist Installation at City Place March 14

SPRING, TX -- As part of its ongoing partnership with acclaimed Texas-based art advisory firm Weingarten Art Group, north Houston’s dynamic business and lifestyle hub, City Place, will unveil its newest rotating art installation, Arc ZERO, by Australian visual artist James Tapscott, on March 14. A native of Perth, Tapscott draws on the works of artists such as Richard Serra, James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, and Robert Irwin, all of whom created large-scale works designed with human interaction in the landscape.

Installed within the pond system at City Place Park, the immersive work features two interactive rings of light and mist – Eclipse and Nimbus – that create striking, ever-shifting illusions by day and night. Together, the installations engage in a visual dialogue across the site, inviting visitors into a shared, sensory experience shaped by water, light, and atmosphere.

Free to visit, Arc ZERO will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. through August 2 at 1250 Lake Plaza Drive, Spring, TX 77389.

Serving as a bridge between the elemental and the engineered, Eclipse will be installed inside the cat’s eye, a waterfall spillover that is a focal point for visitors approaching the park. A semi-circular arc of polished steel rests at the water’s edge, emitting a fine, persistent mist from hundreds of nozzles that catches and fractures the LED light. As the mist settles over the elevated area, the reflection completes the circle, manifesting a glowing halo that appears to float between the sky and the surface. A study in symmetry and perception, it turns a structural fragment into a complete, luminous phenomenon.

First conceived in 2021, six editions have been installed worldwide, two of which are permanent. An installation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, won a CODA Award for Landscape Art in 2022, while the first edition in Shenzhen, China, drew over 400,000 visitors during its one-month run, inspiring multiple subsequent commissions.

Where Eclipse invites contemplation from afar, Nimbus demands a physical presence. Rising fifteen feet above a jetty, the circular installation transforms the surrounding atmosphere into a tactile medium. Using the same light-and-water-based infrastructure as Eclipse, walking through the portal-like ring is akin to entering a microclimate of cooling vapor and shifting light, where the boundaries of the artwork are felt on the skin.

It is an immersive exploration of the ephemeral – a soft, glowing anchor in the landscape that reveals the hidden beauty of light and water. Under certain conditions, it reveals subtle rainbow effects. At night, the form glows softly, extending the experience into the evening hours.

“I wanted to create an experience that marks the threshold of going to a more spiritual place, a physical kind of cleansing as well,” Tapscott said. “The experience of walking through it is more than just visual because the mist completely changes the air – you can feel it on your skin and even hear the sound of it.”

Naturally, both ringed pieces have played a role in personal milestones such as weddings and engagements, where they have been displayed for their appearance as a portal or gateway – an effect that perfectly suits this location, which regularly hosts both with the support of the adjacent Houston City Place Marriott. This marks the first time Tapscott has exhibited his two Arc ZERO works together in a single presentation, as well as his Texas debut.

“In my mind, Texas is known for its desert-like qualities, yet this verdant, waterfront site couldn’t be more different. I’ve found City Place to be a perfect backdrop, with an exceptional infrastructure for Arc ZERO, and it’s been exciting to showcase two pieces from the series together—something I’ve never done before.”

Since 2024, Weingarten Art Group has been curating integrated, dynamic, internationally recognized art into the cultural fabric of City Place. Partnering with artists across the region and around the world, the group has brought award-winning projects to Houston landmarks Discovery Green and the Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Partnership and is helping position the district as a premier destination where public art and community life naturally intersect.

The program’s inaugural pop-up, Periwinkle by Dallas-based The Color Condition, introduced an immersive, site-specific environment of vibrant streamers and ribbons that evoked fantastical realms inspired by classic movies and games. Austin-based musician and artist Steve Parker’s Invisible Music followed, transforming repurposed brass instruments into interactive sculptures that invited visitors to create a contemplative, nature-inspired soundscape.

Specially reconceived for its City Place presentation, As Water Falls by Montreal’s Studio Iregular featured a cube-shaped digital waterfall composed of four interactive LED displays. Responsive to touch, the installation allowed participants to alter both visuals and sound, offering an evocative reminder of nature’s constant motion and evolution. The City Place stand marked the first time the work had ever been presented in a cube format anywhere in the world, as before it had been a 2D wall version. London-based creative studio Graphic Rewilding held its first exhibition in Texas, with the widely embraced Flower Clouds series further enriching the environment with seven oversized, six-foot-tall benches adorned with hand-drawn illustrations depicting more than 25 native Texas Gulf Coast plant and animal species.

Most recently, late 2025 saw the U.S.-debut of VOUW, a technology-driven installation from the Amsterdam studio of the same name. Its three interactive components — Chairwave (illuminated seating designed to encourage social connection), Poem Booth, and Roast Booth (AI-powered experiences generating personalized poetry or playful “roasts” from user portraits) — produced a total of more than 75,000 interactions during the approximately three-month run.

“City Place benefits from a wonderful combination of dedicated water features and green space alongside a dynamic mix of offices, hotels, multifamily residences and retail,” said Lea Weingarten, principal of Weingarten Art Group. “At a time when audiences are increasingly experience-driven rather than object-driven, the ability to introduce distinctive cultural attractions within that environment is a meaningful advantage.”

According to Weingarten, City Place leadership set out to create opportunities for visitors to encounter art in ways that engage the senses and spark imagination beyond traditional institutional settings.

“The City Place team embraces the idea that some of the most compelling art experiences happen in everyday environments, outside the walls of a museum or gallery,” Weingarten said. “The beauty and intentional design of this sustainable community provide an exceptional canvas for curating works that complement its layered character and vibrancy.”

Weingarten added that the organization’s sustained commitment to thoughtful public art investment has been notable.

“There are few places in the region advancing public art at this level,” she said. “Their leadership has taken the time to understand how temporary, rotating and permanent installations each contribute value. That commitment extends throughout the organization — from programming to landscaping and lighting — creating a genuinely unified approach.”

Weingarten Art Group has a number of additional installations planned for City Place through 2028, including a permanent work anticipated to become a defining visual landmark for the area.