If you’re craving a visual feast that straddles fantasy and critique, David LaChapelle's upcoming show Vanishing Act is your next must-see. Opening at VISU Contemporary in Miami Beach on November 29 and running through January 31, 2026, this show brings together over 30 works spanning LaChapelle’s legendary career, including nine world-premiere pieces.
LaChapelle has always long highlighted the glare of the surreal: saturated colors, over-the-top theatrics and glitter explore deep questions about beauty, excess and decay, and, similarly, Vanishing Act doesn’t pull any punches. The grand opening is free to the public on December 5 from 6pm to 9pm, with LaChapelle himself in attendance. If you like rubbing elbows with the creative elite—or just snapping pics to live on the grid—this is your moment. Otherwise, the exhibition can be viewed by appointment at VISU Contemporary, located at 2160 Park Ave. in Miami Beach.
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“For a young gallery in Miami Beach to be presenting new, world-premiere works by David LaChapelle is nothing short of extraordinary,” VISU Contemporary's owner and curator Bruce Halpryn said in a statement. “Our mission has always been to showcase cutting-edge, thought-provoking art that resonates with today’s cultural pulse. To be one of two galleries representing LaChapelle’s work in the Americas is a tremendous honor, and speaks to Miami’s growing stature as an art world capital.”
What makes this exhibition so essential is the tension LaChapelle has built into every piece. It’s rare enough to see nine brand new works from an artist of his stature, and rarer still to experience them alongside the imagery that made him an icon. The show thus offers a kind of retrospective throughline. In one corner, you’ll find the spectacle of excess blown up to mythic proportions; in another, a quiet reminder that nature will reclaim what we abandon.
If you’re looking for something more than just scenery, this is it. The work is gorgeous, provocative and guaranteed to make you linger longer than you planned. And yes, it’s also going to look incredible on your feed, because LaChapelle never met a shot he couldn't wring every last bit of bite from.