Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dennissa Young. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dennissa , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The Bureau of Friendship all started in 2020. Though it didn’t quite have that name yet, it all developed in Charlotte, NC with a piece called it’s for you. This all pink piece was created to give people a moment to hear a sweet message. I would offer the phone to them and say, it’s for you and then they would hear on the other end, hey it’s me, I was just calling to say you are enough. This gesture kicked off a whole series of monochromatic, office themed performances. DONE + DONE was the next one, all in purple, where I shredded people’s emotions. Then came Easy Exchange. This one’s all about the multiplication of joy. I ask people what brings them joy and then we write it on carbon copy paper and I get to keep a copy and so do they. Mutual Agreements is dressed all in blue and creates space for friends to write down their terms and agreements of their friendship. Evan Starkweather and I developed On the Books, a red office all about making time to connect with friends.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a relational artist and curator in Chicago! I studied video performance and relational aesthetics at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. From there I started creating relational performances that range from conversations, to holding hands in the gallery, shredding people’s emotions to curating shows. I really love all things connection.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the people you get to meet. I am so incredibly inspired by friendships and connection. Most all of my art either started from a good joke or was made for a friend or a group of friends. Meeting people through the Bureau of Friendship has been such a huge reward. I was just in Expo Chicago and getting to see so many people in a span of four days was incredible. I get so energized by hearing people’s stories and getting their perspective on friendship. I love when the audience just gets to brag about how good a friend they are. Plus, the work is transformative, it’s doing something. My work is challenging people to think and celebrate platonic friendships so when it lands it lands. And it even brings people to tears, to laughter, to joy and that is so rewarding!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew that relational art and social practice existed. It took me a while to learn these concepts and if I would have experienced in them say in high school, I feel like my practice would have been stronger. Philosophers like Nicolas Bourriaud and artists like Lee Mingwei and Ann Hamilton need to be more widely circulated. These artists and thinkers really shaped my career when I found out about them. I wish I had known more about artists that were doing interactive, performance based work. That art could be used for social change and transformation.

Contact Info:

• Website: dennissayoung.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/relationallydennissa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/relationallydennissa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennissa-young-95a337282/

Image Credits
Bekah Wriedt Tracey Conoboy