Sonning goes bananas with ‘£24.8million fine art’ installations

Multiple pieces of ‘fine art’ – bananas affixed to various structures with duct tape – have appeared around Sonning in the latest of works by installation artist Impro.

The mysterious artist is known for various commentary pieces, including an ‘emergency floodline’ dial phone, a post box, a urinal, a full-sized front door and a cash machine – all installed on Sonning Bridge just above the water, where daring swimmers only might make use of such conveniences.

Impro also confessed to the ‘Golden Cock’ in the village – dedicated to Sonning’s then most-famous resident, Uri Geller – and to smearing the good name of Father Christmas by depicting an apparently unconscious Santa sleeping it off on a park bench.

This latest contribution is a tip of the hat to a 2019 artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, also known for his tongue-in-cheek pieces, including a fully functional golden toilet called ‘America’.

Cattelan’s three-piece set of works entitled ‘Comedian’ consists of a single fresh banana affixed to a wall with duct tape. Number two of the set sold for $6.2million in November.

Now Sonning has also been furnished with such riches, with a series of duct-taped bananas appearing at various sites around the village, including on a humble traffic island.

There are four such bananas, which if successfully sold at auction for the same amount as Cattelan’s, would fetch a princely sum of $24.8million.

Speaking about his works, Impro said: “Enough of the japes and pranks! This time I have graced Sonning with bona fide, international standard fine art worth in total £24.8 million at auction.

“The sale of just one of these masterpieces would be more than enough to get them their new church roof and to Sonningians I would say, ‘You’re welcome!'”

^{From top to bottom: Banana, banana, banana, banana.}