Photo: James Tapscott
Perched along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, is an installation that almost seems supernatural: it breathes mist, its surface is blank and doesn’t reveal anyone’s reflection, and it shimmers quietly in the setting sun. The project in question is James Tapscott’s Arc ZERO: Eclipse, the artist’s latest addition to his Arc ZERO series.
Like much of Tapscott’s work, Arc ZERO: Eclipse is a meditation upon the sublime, as expressed through natural phenomena. The installation takes the form of a half-ring that disperses delicate clouds of mist and light into the air, reminiscent of a halo whose appearance subtly evolves as the day unfolds. To enhance its ethereality, Arc ZERO: Eclipse rests in a custom-built infinity pool, appearing to float over the bustling city while also framing a nearby bridge in the distance. Completing the illusion is the water itself, whose reflective surface below mimics the installation’s curved shape and creates the illusion of one giant, closed circle.
Impressively, Arc ZERO: Eclipse uses minimal technology to achieve its desired visuals. The ring itself is constructed of a bespoke diamond profile, which, though exceedingly difficult to manufacture, creates an “effect where the viewer is rarely seen reflected in its surface,” allowing for the sense of immersion to remain without the risk of it being broken by “one’s own reflection,” Tapscott explains. The installation, too, interacts with natural and elemental materials directly, as opposed to “emulating [them] with technology,” the artist adds.
Previous iterations of Arc ZERO have been showcased around the world, including in Denmark, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Japan. In 2023, Tapscott installed a version of Arc ZERO: Eclipse in Lake Tyrell, a shallow, salt-crusted depression in Australia. Lightly grazing the water’s pristine surface, the artwork seems to stretch endlessly into the horizon, reminding us of a celestial body hovering in the night sky. Another version, permanently installed in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also won the 2023 CODA award for landscape art, a testament to the project’s surreal yet incredibly evocative character.
“As a designer, my intentions are to use the same affinity for natural materials to create objects of pure beauty and flexible functionality,” Tapscott says of his practice. “The forms are purposefully simplistic, championing the materials’ inherent beauty and allowing the pieces to [complement] the aesthetic of almost any architectural space.”
To learn more about the artist, visit James Tapscott’s website.
James Tapscott’s newest iteration of Arc ZERO: Eclipse has been unveiled in Seoul, South Korea.
Photo: James Tapscott
Photo: James Tapscott
Photo: James Tapscott
Arc ZERO: Eclipse resembles a half-ring that diffuses delicate clouds of mist and light into the air, while the water below it completes the circular form with its reflective surface.
Photo: James Tapscott
Photo: James Tapscott
Photo: James Tapscott
Photo: James Tapscott
