Jonny Tanna, founder of the London gallery Harlesden High Street, has launched a pop-up project in Mayfair during Frieze Week, in collaboration with Düsseldorf- and Berlin-based gallery Setareh. The inaugural exhibition, “Forces of Nature,” features London-based artists Abbas Zahedi and Jamiu Agboke, presenting conceptual installation and atmospheric painting. Tanna emphasizes that this is not a permanent relocation but an itinerant extension of his gallery, which exclusively shows artists of color and operates from a space wedged between a chicken shop and a minicab office in northwest London.
This project matters because it offers a model for small, community-focused galleries to engage with the high-end commercial art market without compromising their mission. Tanna’s approach challenges the perception that moving into Mayfair equals selling out, instead using the pop-up to reach new audiences while maintaining his gallery’s commitment to accessibility and local representation. It also highlights ongoing conversations about diversity, commercial pressures, and the survival strategies of independent galleries in the art world.