VISU Contemporary Presents Vanishing Act, a Major David LaChapelle Exhibition in Miami Beach
- camilarosiaz
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
VISU Contemporary will present Vanishing Act, a major exhibition by internationally acclaimed photographer David LaChapelle, on view from November 29, 2025, through January 31, 2026, in Miami Beach. The exhibition brings together more than 30 significant works from across LaChapelle’s four-decade career, including the world premiere of nine new photographs.
Curated by VISU Contemporary founder Bruce Halpryn, Vanishing Act explores the accelerating pace of modern life and the tension between beauty and collapse, artifice and authenticity. The exhibition combines landmark images with newly created works that reflect the growing urgency of LaChapelle’s social, environmental, and spiritual concerns.
Among the premieres is Will the World End in Fire, Will the World End in Ice (2025), which revisits themes LaChapelle has developed over decades, examining the fragile boundary between nature and civilization. The work follows earlier series such as Gas, Land SCAPE, and Spree, in which abandoned symbols of consumption are overtaken by natural forces. The new image depicts a familiar cruise ship motif under an ominous sun, extending LaChapelle’s visual narrative of environmental reckoning.
Another newly expanded body of work, Negative Currency (1990–2025), transforms global banknotes into luminous, negative images that resemble gemstones rather than instruments of commerce. Recent additions include currencies from Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea, continuing LaChapelle’s investigation into value, power, and symbolism.
The exhibition also includes Tower of Babel (2024), a contemporary reinterpretation of the biblical story of fragmentation and miscommunication, set against a digitally rendered Los Angeles skyline. Spirituality remains a central theme throughout the show, appearing in works such as Annunciation, Our Lady of the Flowers, and The Sorrows, where traditional religious iconography is reframed through a modern lens
Selections from LaChapelle’s earlier series will also be on view, including Earth Laughs in Flowers, Gas, Biombos, and For Men Will Be Lovers of Self, highlighting the evolution of his photographic language and recurring interest in faith, vanity, mortality, and transcendence.
Vanishing Act opens during Miami Art Week, situating VISU Contemporary among the city’s key cultural destinations at a moment of global reflection and artistic experimentation. The exhibition positions Miami Beach as one of the few locations in the Americas presenting new, museum-scale works by LaChapelle.
VISU Contemporary is located in Miami Beach and will host public viewing throughout the exhibition run.