The multimedia creator speaks to L&rsquo;OFFICIEL about designing her free-spirited space for Nordstrom and the Whitney Museum.

Layers of youthful <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gen-z-y2k-millennial-90s-fashion-nostalgia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nostalgia</a> create the feel of &ldquo;Daytime Sparkles&rdquo;&mdash;artist Maggie Lee&rsquo;s new installation for Nordstrom NYC and the Whitney Museum&rsquo;s Emerging Artist Program. Calling on her teenage experience of time spent in malls and department stores, the artist&rsquo;s project is an homage to the young love of &ldquo;hanging out&rdquo; in public spaces&mdash;whether to shop or just to be in the space itself. Just opened, this &ldquo;secret meeting space&rdquo; for people to spend time in mimics a retail vibe but stays true to its artistic roots. &ldquo;I was thinking about how <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/teen-fashion-trends-decades-90s-y2k-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teenagers</a> like to loiter for long periods of time in places just because they can, and for no good reason at all,&rdquo; Lee tells L&rsquo;OFFICIEL. &ldquo;To be mischievous&hellip;that&rsquo;s part of the attitude.&rdquo;
Lee&rsquo;s environment perfectly captures the playful irreverence of youth with an adept collage of store elements inside the casual hang-out. Artfully redesigned <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/harry-nuriev-instagram-interior-design-trends-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sofas</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/artists-who-wrote-hit-songs-for-other-musicians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pop music</a>, and light projections unfold into its complete ambience. Alongside bright &ldquo;blings&rdquo; wall shapes and store merchandise, analog TVs loop commercials for Byredo Suede, Diptyque <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/best-aromas-candles-zodiac-sign-astrology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candles</a>, and background city imagery. While &ldquo;No Loitering&rdquo; signs hung tilted, sideways, and upside down provide a cheeky effect for the dedicated lounge space.

The hideout intends to be an unexpected discovery, a world unto itself that is happened upon by store-goers. Each creative detail has been carefully considered for its meaning to the experience. "The idea of activating a public space, that is not intended for its purpose is exciting to me," says Lee. "I like to be ambiguous. [The space] speaks in cryptic codes, it&rsquo;s for the people to observe, to witness it, and to make things your own.&rdquo;
Personal experience and memory have often been a part of the artist's work and storytelling. Born in Westfield, New Jersey, Lee's early arts interest began with zines and the alternative/underground music scene. She then studied at Pratt Institute before developing her multimedia practice into an international art presence. Her <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/4wbpmj/maggie-lees-mommy-is-a-devastating-nuanced-documentary-about-losing-your-parents-111" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evocative film </a><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/4wbpmj/maggie-lees-mommy-is-a-devastating-nuanced-documentary-about-losing-your-parents-111" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mommy</a> gained attention as a coming-of-age story with stream of consciousness form&mdash;infused with home videos, diary entries, and drawings&mdash;that was screened at the Whitney Museum of Art in 2016. Lee's intuitive, experimental approach has continued to guide her artwork since, including <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/barbie-doll-mattel-brithday-pop-culture-significance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doll</a>-filled tanks as terrariums; surreal, moody light installations; and wholly imagined, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/artist-bianca-bondi-interview-still-waters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fictional worlds</a> as creative fodder.

Here, in her latest project, the artist describes the spirit of &ldquo;Daytime Sparkles&rdquo; as a place for everyone and a moment of solace and respite in fun energy, to celebrate the wonder and the gift of free-spirited abandon.&nbsp;In Lee&rsquo;s view, the space is meant, &ldquo;to reclaim and be part of something. To see something special in the daytime&mdash;a sparkle is irregular. And to loiter just because you can.&rdquo; And the artwork offers just that&mdash;the gift of the unexpected and a joyful, lightheaded feeling to experience&mdash;simply because you can.

Photos: Connie Zhou

Artist Maggie Lee Celebrates the Glitter of Youth in New NYC Installation for Nordstrom 

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Artist Maggie Lee Celebrates the Glitter of Youth in New NYC Installation for Nordstrom

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