Jeffrey Deitch's Miami Pop-Up Bets Big on Emerging Artists
Organized by American Art Projects.
Summary
- Jeffrey Deitch’s annual Miami showcase returns with That Was Then, This Is Now, organized by American Art Projects
- On view through January 2 in the Design District, the exhibition features 25 names representing the emerging and most exciting in contemporary art today
Jeffrey Deitch‘s Art Basel Miami Beach pop-ups are perennial must-sees, though this year’s showcase came out on top. Remembered as the week’s foremost off-site exhibition, That Was Then, This Is Now puts a spotlight on the art world’s up-and-coming. Staged in the sleek former John Elliott storefront in the heart of the city’s Design District, the exhibition brings together 25 under 35s, with the mission of putting the new generation of collectors on to the next creative class.
Organized by American Art Projects, the show features work by Matt McCormick, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Hannah Taurins, Mario Ayala and Zoe Blue M, a lineup that’ll feel familiar for those who caught the curatorial project debut in Berlin earlier this year. It’s cohort often in dialogue with one another — “the most special and important young group of artists working today,” according to William Croghan, an associate director at Deitch, at the helm of American Art Projects alongside Benno Tubbesing, the former director of Ruttkowski;68 New York.
Spanning painting, sculpture, fashion and furniture, contributions from Sharif Farrag, Lindsey Lou Howard, Ozzie Juarez and Sara Yukiko can also be spotted throughout the two-story space. Beyond the works on view, all kept at a “reasonable entry point” to attract to young collectors, the exhibition presents a curated selection of books, garments and smaller editions by the participating artists up for grabs.
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Of Jeffrey Deitch
The idea for the exhibition first sparked at Art Basel’s 2024 Swiss fair, where the two brought Sam Robins, son of Design District developer Craig Robins, on board. Several months later, America Unframed, the project’s inaugural show, garnered the attention and support of Deitch, who “graciously passed the torch to American Art Projects to organize the [Miami] show.” That Was Then, This Is Now was then official.
Deitch’s confidence in the platform proved well-placed. As Hans Ulrich Obrist echoed at the opening, the event bore witness to something special unfolding in American visual culture, an energy felt by featured names, friends and visitors alike. “These artists are in strong community with one another. That’s just how these guys move,” Croghan said. “A lot of these people are good friends of ours, too, and for me, that makes it twice as fun.”
“I’ve always believed that the most important art movements emerge from communities — people collaborating, influencing one another, and pushing each other forward,” Croghan continued. “I think of this group of artists, here in Miami, as one of those next important movements.”
That Was, Then, This Is Now is now on view at 119 NE 41 Street in Miami Design District through January 2, 2026.
