INSIDE THE ICONIC CHELSEA HOTEL

> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS.'

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

THE CHELSEA HOTEL HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF NEW YORK CITY'S CULTURAL HUBS.

FOR YEARS, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, WRITERS AND OTHER ECCENTRIC NEW YORKERS LIVED, WORKED, AND SOCIALIZED THERE.

HOWEVER, IN 2011, THE CHELSEA HOTEL CLOSED ITS DOORS TO GUESTS AND BEGAN A MORE THAN 10-YEARLONG RENOVATION PROCESS THAT FORCED MANY TENANTS OUT.

SOME, HOWEVER, STAYED BEHIND, CHOOSING TO LIVE AMONGST THE CONSTRUCTION RATHER THAN LEAVE THE RICH CULTURAL LEGACY OF THE CHELSEA BEHIND.

A NEW DOCUMENTARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BUY MARTIN SCORSESE CALLED 'DREAMING WALLS', TELLS THE STORY OF THE HOLDOUTS WHO REFUSED TO MOVE AND OF THE HOTELS STORIED PAST.

HERE'S A QUICK PREVIEW.

THE CHELSEA RIGHT NOW IS A KIND OF -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SAY -- HOLDOUTS.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MANY YEARS AND FOR WHATEVER REASON -- WHATEVER REASON, HARD TO IMAGINE -- WANT TO CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE.

THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY ANY STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE, BUT EACH HAVE THEIR REASON FOR WANTING TO STAY.

THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO REALLY ARE THE REMNANTS OF ANOTHER TIME IN NEW YORK.

WHEN MANHATTAN WAS A BOHEMIAN AND AVANT-GARDE CENTER OF ACTIVITY.

WHEN THE ART WORLD WAS REALLY LIVELY AND VIBRANT AND JUICY AND ART WAS BEING MADE HERE IN MANHATTAN.

NOW I THINK THAT TIME IS GONE.

AND JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS THIS FASCINATING NEW DOCUMENTARY, WHICH IS OUT NOW IN THEATERS AND ON STREAMING SERVICES IS MAYA DUVERDE AND SKY, AN ARTIST AND FORMER RESIDENT OF THE CHELSEA HOTEL.

WELCOME YOU BOTH TO 'METROFOCUS.'

WELCOME.

THANK YOU.

, SO MAYA, I WANT TO START WITH YOU AND JUST ASK, WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS HOTEL THAT DREW YOU?

ITS STORY AND THE IDEA OF MAKING A FILM.

FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD THIS HOTEL IN MIND MORE THAN TEN YEARS WHEN I OFFERED HER THE FAMOUS BOOK WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER.

SO I CAN SAY AS YOUNG ARTISTS, YOUNG WOMEN, WE GREW UP WITH THIS MYTHOLOGY IN MIND.

BUT I GUESS CHANCE LED US TO THE REAL CHELSEA.

WHEN WE WERE -- FOUR YEARS AGO WITH EMILY, WE WERE IN NEW YORK AND SHE WAS SHOWING HER LAST FEATURE FILM IN TRIBECA, AND THE CINEMA WAS IN THE SAME STREET AS THE HOTEL.

SO WE JUST BUMPED INTO THE HOTEL.

WE RECOGNIZE IT OF COURSE.

BUT WHEN WE SAW THAT THERE WAS SCAFFOLDING, WE WERE VERY CURIOUS, SO WE DECIDED TO ENTER, AS I GUESS EVERY TOURIST WOULD HAVE DONE, AND OUR CHANCE WAS THAT INSTEAD OF BEING KICKED OUT BY THE PERSON -- WOMAN -- THE CHOREOGRAPHER, AND SHE STARTED TO TALK TO US, AND WE GOTTEN WELL WITH EACH OTHER.

THEN WE INVITED HER TO SEE EMILY'S MOVE, AND THEN SHE INVITED US BACK IN THE ROOM, AND THAT WAS THE REAL ENTRANCE IN THE CHELSEA.

THEN WE UNDERSTOOD THE WHOLE SITUATION, THE WORK AND THE WHOLE STORY THAT YOU KNOW.

I'M ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THE TITLES ARTISTS CHOOSE FOR THEIR WORK.

TELL ME ABOUT 'DREAMING WALLS'. WHAT'S THAT MEAN?

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ENTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME WORK SAW THE ACTUAL WALLS TOTALLY DECREPE IT, AND THE HOTEL WAS LIKE A BODY, YOU KNOW, ALIVE, ALMOST BREATHING.

AND WE HAD THIS VERY STRONG IMAGE OF WALLS BEING -- YEAH, BREATHING, BEING LIVING, AND BEING MAYBE DREAMING, AND REALLY FULL OF ALL THE DREAMS, THE ARTISTIC DREAMS AND ALL THE PIECE THAT WERE CREATED MAYBE IN THIS PLACE.

SO WE HAD IN MIND THAT THIS PLACE WAS A KIND OF PROTECTION INSIDE THESE WALLS, ALL THESE CREATIONS AND DREAMS.

OKAY.

WELL, SKY, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR HISTORY WITH THE HOTEL.

WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH IT?

WELL, TO BEGIN, I'M NOT A TENANT OR A HOLDOUT AS THEY'RE REFERRED TO BY THE DIRECTORS.

I'M AN ARTIST PASSING THROUGH.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF RESIDING THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, ALMOST TWO YEARS.

BUT THE CHELSEA STILL FASCINATES ME.

I'M GLAD THAT I HAD MY CHELSEA PERIOD AND I LEFT, BECAUSE I CAN LOOK BACK ON IT WITH A DIFFERENT SENSIBILITY.

AS AN ARTIST, AS A SCULPTOR, I TEND TO SCULPT PEOPLE THAT INTEREST ME AND I'M A STORY JUNKY, SO I WRITE ABOUT PEOPLE I SCULPT.

I FOUND THE CHELSEA PEOPLE TO BE A MAGNET.

I HAD A STRANGE APPEARANCE IN MY ROOM ON THE FOURTH FLOOR.

LATER LIVED ON THE SIXTH FLOOR.

THE MODELS THAT WOULD COME TO SIT FOR ME, THEY WERE ARRIVING WITH A PREWRITTEN SCRIPT IN THEIR HEAD, ALMOST IN COSTUME, SOMETIMES IN COSTUME BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO LEAVE A STORY IN THE CHELSEA HOTEL.

AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT FIRST.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE ODD.

THERE'S A FORMATIVE ELEMENT TO THESE -- TO THEIR ARRIVAL.

AND THEN AS I UNDERSTOOD, THEY'RE COMING FOR THE HOTEL AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE, THAN FOR ME.

I BEGAN PERFORMING MYSELF, PERFORMING THE MAKING OF ART.

AND I WOULD CREATE AN EXPERIENCE FOR THE PORTRAIT SITTER OR THE CLIENT AND COOK FOR THEM.

AND IT JUST BECAME MORE OF A PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THE CHELSEA BECAME THE STAGE.

IT WAS LIKE 'THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE,' THE CHELSEA IS THE CANVAS.

IT WAS DIRECTING.

AND I THINK HAD I STAYED, THOUGH THAT WASN'T EVER REALLY AN OPTION, HAD I STAYED I WOULD HAVE BECOME PART OF THE FURNITURE, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT STAY THERE A LONG TIME.

IN MY OPINION.

I THINK THE GHOSTS OF THE LIVING.

AND IT'S LIKE THE PICTURE FRAME THAT OUTSHINES THE PAINTING IN IT.

THE CHELSEA HAS AN EGO OF ITS OWN, BUT IT IS A STORY MAGNET, AND THAT REALLY DREW ME TO THE PLACE.

I PRODUCED OVER 200 PORTRAITS, SCULPTURES WHILE I WAS THERE.

I WAS ABLE TO WORK WELL.

FOR THE RECORD, THERE ARE NO GHOSTS, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF MICE.

I MUST HAVE -- EVERY SINGLE TRAP I PUT OUT ENDED UP WITH A MOUSE AT ONE POINT BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS GOING ON.

AT ONE POINT MY MODELS TYPICALLY POSE NUDE, WERE QUITE COLD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HEAT SOME LOT OF SPACE HEATERS AROUND TO KEEP THEM WARM.

AS IT HAPPEN, I OFTEN WORK WITH NUDES BECAUSE NAKED PEOPLE TALK AND THEY TELL ME STORIES AND I WRITE THEM DOWN.

SO AGAIN, SCULPTURE TO WRITING AND THE HOTEL WAS JUST INVITING.

WELL, THAT'S SO -- THAT'S ALL SO FASCINATING, BECAUSE THE WAY YOU TALK ABOUT IT, YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHELSEA AS HAVING ITS OWN PERSONHOOD, AND I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF OTHER CREATIVES THAT A SPACE, A PHYSICAL OBJECT, PERHAPS, THE REST OF US MIGHT WALK PAST, CAN HOLD ENERGY FROM PAST EXPERIENCES.

I'M WONDERING -- IS THAT THE CASE?

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S SOUNDING LIKE IS THE CHELSEA WAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL.

ABSOLUTELY, IT HAS ITS OWN EGO.

I THINK WE IMBUE IT WITH THAT EGO AND ENERGY BECAUSE WE'RE COMING -- WE THE ANYONE WHO PASSES THROUGH THE CHELSEA -- WE'RE COMING WITH OUR OWN NOSTALGIA, SENSE OF IT.

AS I HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWING PEOPLE THAT SEE THE FILM, IF THEY KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE CHELSEA, THEY MAY HAVE SOME CRITICISMS.

OH, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LONGER.

OR I WISH -- WE TALKED ABOUT THESE MUSICIANS THAT LIVED THERE.

BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPETING WITH THE MYTHOLOGY THEY ALREADY HAVE.

BUT PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT THINK, WOW, THIS IS AMAZING.

LIKE LAST NIGHT I SAW IT AT THE I 3 THEERT, THEATER, 6:30 SHOW, AND PEOPLE APPLAUDED.

I KNEW THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE CHELSEA AS I WAS TALKING TO THEM.

THIS WAS A NEW STORY FOR THEM.

I CAN'T SPEAK MUCH ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE -- I'M REALLY JUST THE ARTIST PASSING THROUGH, SO I DON'T HAVE MUCH THE SAY ABOUT THE CONFLICT.

BUT MAYA MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THE SAY.

MAYA, I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, FIRST A SIMILAR QUESTION, JUST ABOUT WORKING WITH CHELSEA AS A CHARACTER MORE THAN JUST A BACKDROP, BUT A LIVING BREATHING ENTITY THAT WAS A BIG PART OFFURE FILM.

YEAH.

YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.

THE CHELSEA IS A BIG MYTH, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE FEELING YOU HAVE WHEN YOU ENTER IS NOT A MYTH.

THERE IS THIS VERY STRONG ENERGY THAT SOMETIMES CAN ALSO FEEL A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SAY IN ENGLISH, BUT YOU CAN'T BREATHE ANYMORE.

AND I THINK AT THE BEGINNING WE WANTED TO STAY THE MORE WE COULD IN THE CHELSEA, AND WE TRIED TO ALSO LIVE IN NEW YORK, BE CLOSE TO THE PLACE.

BUT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

BUT AT THE END I THINK IT WAS EVEN BETTER TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO ALSO HAVE A KIND OF DISTANCE OF WHAT WE WERE SEEING AND LIVING.

BECAUSE I GUESS THIS PLACE IS -- PLACE THAT GIVE YOU STRENGTH, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO, AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT -- CAN -- IT'S A GOOD VISIT CARD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S TOO MUCH, AND YOU CAN LOSE YOURSELF IN A WAY, MAYBE.

I DON'T KNOW.

WELL, I KNOW YOU -- YOU MEAN, YOU BOTH DON'T NECESSARILY -- AND THE FILM DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADDRESS, THE I GUESS, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, BUT I DO JUST WONDER, THERE'S SO MUCH TALK IN NEW YORK, ESPECIALLY AS NEW DEVELOPERS COME IN.

A LOT OF NEW YORKERS SEE THE CITY PHYSICALLY CHANGING, NOT JUST WITH STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO WITH POPULATION CHANGES, AND THAT'S WHAT NEW YORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN, BUT I DO WONDER, WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES, AT LEAST, FOR THE CHELSEA HOTEL GOING TOWARD?

MAYA, I'LL START WITH YOU.

I MEAN, I THINK FOR THE CHELSEA, UNFORTUNATELY, I GUESS, IT'S KIND OF OVER NOW.

OR IT'S JUST CONTINUING IN A NEW CYCLE.

BUT I DON'T FEEL CLOSE TO THIS CYCLE, SO I DON'T HOPE A LOT OF THINGS.

I WOULD JUST LIKE THAT PEOPLE NEVER FORGET WHAT THE CHELSEA HAS BEEN, WHO WERE THE PEOPLE, THE FAMOUS PEOPLE LIVING THERE.

I JUST HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS PHILOSOPHY AND THIS ART OF LIVING ALSO THAT THE CHELSEA HAS PERMITTED.

WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK CALLED 'GENTRIFICATION OF THE MIND', AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN ERASE A POPULATION, A COMMUNITY JUST BY STOPPING TALKING ABOUT IT AND JUST BY PUTTING ANOTHER COMMUNITY ON IT THAT WILL JUST ERASE.

AND I THINK THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM IS JUST TO FORGET THE PEOPLE.

I KNOW THAT THINGS CHANGE AND THE CHELSEA HAS HAD A LOT OF OTHER CYCLES, SO -- THE CHELSEA WILL LIVE FOREVER IN A WAY, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIVE ARE NOT HERE FOREVER, SO I JUST HOPE WE REMEMBER WHAT THEY BROUGHT TO THE WORLD AND THE ART WORLD.

WE'VE RUN OUT OF TIME, SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE, BUT I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF MY GUESTS.

MAYA IS THE CO-DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, AND SKY IS AN ARTIST WHO WAS PASSING THROUGH BUT GOT A CHANCE THE STAY AT THE STORIED CHELSEA HOTEL.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON 'METROFOCUS.'

THANK YOU.