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 works that explore bureaucracy, migration, and memory. Tanna emphasizes that this is not a permanent relocation but a strategic move to reach new audiences without compromising his gallery’s mission of showing only artists of color.
This project matters because it offers a model for small, mission-driven galleries to engage with the commercial art market without losing their identity. By partnering with Setareh, Harlesden High Street gains access to Mayfair’s wealthy collector base while maintaining its community-focused ethos. The initiative challenges assumptions about selling out and highlights how independent spaces can navigate the tension between accessibility and commercial viability in the art world.