dialogue
Harlesden High Street | Gallery
April 2025
8 min read
In this dialogue with Anaïs, Sophie, and Jonny of Harlesden High Street, we dive into the heart of an independent gallery that thrives on challenging norms and embracing the unconventional. The dialogue unpacks their commitment to supporting artists and projects that disrupt the mainstream, offering a platform for voices often marginalised in the broader art world. Anaïs, with her unique perspective, reflects on the gallery’s role in prioritising authenticity and addressing the tension between urgent, immediate responses to the current cultural moment and the pursuit of long-term, meaningful change.
Sophie shares her deep passion for artist support, particularly in navigating the challenges that many emerging artists face, such as funding and industry guidance. Harlesden High Street’s approach goes beyond simply providing space, it nurtures relationships, fosters creative freedom, and ensures that artists have the resources to experiment and evolve. Sophie’s reflections on the lasting impact of interactions with artists highlight the significance of building connections and creating opportunities for genuine engagement, especially with local communities who may not yet have access to wider art networks.
Jonny adds to the dialogue with his candid thoughts on the pressures and rewards of running a gallery in a competitive art scene. He touches on the importance of staying true to artistic vision, despite external pressures, and how the gallery’s ethos is rooted in community building and supporting experimental practices. From fighting against gentrification to giving back to local businesses, Harlesden High Street’s commitment to its neighbourhood is clear. This conversation offers an inspiring look at a gallery that prioritises artists, community, and social impact over commercial success, making it a vital space for both art and conversation.
Sophie Barrett-Pouleau, Anaïs Auger Mathurin and Jonny Tanna (clockwise from top left). Courtesy of Harlesden High Street.
Hey Anaïs! Have you ever had to champion a project or artist that others doubted, and what was the outcome?
“Those who doubt are probably not the audience we seek to reach or engage with. We deliberately look for works, voices, and approaches that provoke doubt, disrupt, or more broadly escape the mainstream gaze. It’s no longer even a risk—it’s a way of working that shapes the very identity of HHS.”
Savannah Harris - Frieze London Booth Oct 2024. Courtesy of the Artist and Gallery.
How do you balance the urgency of responding to the present moment with the need for long-term cultural change?
(Anaïs) “My answer will be brief. There is no need for balance: long-term cultural change is possible precisely because we respond to the present moment with some kind of urgency.”
Angela Anh Nguyen - One Grand (How We Hegemony). Courtesy of The Artist.
Could you please define "authentic” engagement in a neighbourhood as diverse and dynamic as Harlesden?
(Anaïs) “Being authentic, from my point of view, means not overthinking/overacting what you do. It’s when nothing is overplayed or forced, and it doesn’t shift depending on the context. Authentic engagement is one that aligns with the local community, without pretending to be anything more than what it is. The intentions are straightforward, just like the listening, support, and representation. The image we project to the community and the way we position ourselves in the world remain the same, no matter where we are and who we are speaking to.”
Echo Seireeni - Devotion courtesy of The Artist and Harlesden High Street.
How do you measure or assess the social impact of your research which then leads onto programming?
(Anaïs) “I work with artists based in Montreal and predominantly in Paris and its suburbs, the idea here is to help bring voices from subcultural backgrounds in Paris to the UK, and help bridge an understanding with the local community of Harlesden who may not have tapped into the suburbs of Paris yet.”
Advertisement
Echo Seireeni with Laisal Hoque. Courtesy of Harlesden High Street
Hey Sophie! In your experience, what are the most common challenges artists face today, and how do you support them?
“I think the most common challenges artists face are funding, lack of genuine industry support and guidance and opportunities for experimentation. At Harlesden High Street we treat our artists like our extended family, we nurture their artistic decisions, meet and chat regularly to make sure they feel supported in their own way. We create partnerships that are set to the expectations of the artists to allow them freedom to experiment, grow and change.
We don't try to box in artists, we create and facilitate diverse opportunities with them. For example with our charitable arm Harlesden High School, we work with offsite spaces to offer emerging artists, curators and producers to facilitate exciting projects that may not have been accessible for those creatives to put together yet, offering physical space for shows and projects as well as low cost studio spaces.”
Savannah Harris. Courtesy of the Artist and Harlesden High Street.
Which artist interaction has left a lasting impression on you, and why?
(Sophie) “That is a hard one, as through my role as artist liaison and programme coordinator, I am at the forefront with both Jonny and Anaïs, visiting and talking to artists every week. It’s my favourite part! I think my most recent artist/s interaction would be during our christmas show Harlesden Video Club /24 where we brought together a film programme of 17 artists, screening 25+ films from around the world.
My favourite moments would be inviting in recent Bow Art’s prize winner Laisul Hoque into the space to introduce his film and for a Q&A, local artist Modu Sesay joining us with his family to introduce his film Ghana FC, Adam Farah Saad joining us to talk through his film Scrollcast and bringing a custom made scent inspired by the film and his wider practice and receiving a digital introduction from Australian artist Lilah Benetti for her film Les Sommes de Nous which was then screened in Tate shortly after the show.
I think what you can see from these experiences would be how much I enjoy seeing audiences resonate with artworks, to see them connect with our local audience makes what we do even more impactful and important and means so much to me. Also to have the opportunity to constantly unpack works with artists and facilitate discourse around important topics feels so key to what we do and my daily interaction with our artists and future artists.”
Sophie Barrett-Pouleau and Jonny Tanna. Courtesy of Jukka Ovaskainen and Frieze.
How do you work with artists who may not yet be ready for the "art market" but clearly possess exceptional talent?
(Sophie) “We offer advice and guidance, showing them spaces and places online and offline that they should keep an eye on for opportunities. Taking them around galleries and openings to introduce them to our peers to give them a broader understanding of the art landscape. I think ‘being ready for the art market’ is very subjective though as many artists may never be emotionally ready for the art market.
It’s a tough space to be in if that is not how you were taught to look at art. Shifting from an art school or self learning space into attempting to create income from your work is a hard transition and a significant shift in mindset.”
Marcus Jefferson modelling for Burberry. Courtesy of the Artist and Burberry.
How do you support artists in navigating the pressures that come with increased visibility and recognition?
(Sophie) “We create relationships and agreements based on the artists desires and goals so it’s vital for us to also respect their decisions when it comes to visibility. Where desired we are the first point of contact for people interested in showing or buying the artist's work, which takes the edge off an artist so they can solely dedicate themselves to their work. Myself and Jonny in particular also act as the first points of contact for the artist 24/7 for any issues or worries they have, we’re here.”
Advertisement
Angela Anh Nguyen in her studio. Courtesy of the Artist.
How do you support artists in navigating the pressures that come with increased visibility and recognition?
(Sophie) “We create relationships and agreements based on the artists desires and goals so it’s vital for us to also respect their decisions when it comes to visibility. Where desired we are the first point of contact for people interested in showing or buying the artist's work, which takes the edge off an artist so they can solely dedicate themselves to their work. Myself and Jonny in particular also act as the first points of contact for the artist 24/7 for any issues or worries they have, we’re here.”
Two Day Sound System featuring Mandy El-Sayegh and Alvaro Barrington. Courtesy of Harlesden High Street.
Hey Jonny! Harlesden High Street's programme is original, experimental, and could be argued you recognise talent before many, congratulations Jonny. That said, have you ever felt pressure given the competitive London art scene to dilute the gallery's vision to satisfy the "market"?
“Not really as it’s been a long practice of mine to put creativity first before financial gain.”
What is your greatest hope for the future of independent galleries?
(Jonny) “Currently I’m very impressed by the younger galleries on the scene, and how resilient they are, they still manage to find good workarounds and put on quality shows. The solidarity of being at international fairs together and looking out for each other is also humbling and what’s important for community building in the face of adversity.”
Rachel Jones performing in Harlesden High Street. Courtesy of Harlesden High Street.
Jonny, how did you build trust within a community that may have been sceptical of the art world's intentions?
(Jonny) “We like to feel our space is a place for open discourse and always happy to answer questions where needed as the main intention was to do the opposite of what I’ve experienced working for some galleries and not make people feel uncomfortable for asking ‘the wrong questions’ and give back to these folk as art has been a healing process and helped me through a lot of dark and troubled times, so want to treat people how I would’ve like to have been treated.”
Jamiu Agboke with Henry Taylor. Courtesy of Harlesden High Street.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the art world, and how did you overcome them?
(Jonny) “Personally, I feel since 2022 a new wave of chintzy Cath Kidson style influencers have certainly encouraged less thought and critical thinking and more trend following. These people mostly come from the salon art world* and has been disruptive to the market. The way to overcome them is keep pushing conceptual and installation art vs some of the froofy art that caters to their taste and focus on community building. I guess it’s the mainstream vs the underground. The underground will never not exist.”
Jonny explains to brave: “Salon Galleries is a term I have created to separate what isn’t your average commercial gallery and what is practically a shop with prices visible on their check list and orange stickers. This distinction is important as most refer to them as ‘very commercial galleries’ but salon summarises them efficiently.”
Comments