Impro is known for playful and thought-provoking public art. An artist named Impro has taped bananas around the village of Sonning in Berkshire, mimicking Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork Comedian, which sold for $6.2m (£4.9m). Impro jokingly claims his banana “masterpieces” are worth £24.8m and could fund a new church roof for Sonning. Cattelan’s Comedian is a conceptual artwork consisting of a single banana duct-taped to a wall. It was first exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2019, where it became an instant sensation.
In a message to a local outlet, The Reading Chronicle, Impro said: “Enough of the japes and pranks! This time I have graced Sonning with bona fide, international standard fine art worth in total £24.8m 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!’”. Previously, residents of Sonning have noticed a cash machine on the Sonning bridge, decorated with “Impro Solutions” logos – one of several controversial installations over the years. Other works include a phone, postbox, urinal, and a door.
While many are puzzled by how Impro manages to install his pieces, some have called for a permanent installation on the grade-II listed structure that spans the River Thames, connecting Sonning in Berkshire with Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire. Impro’s work often blends humour with social commentary and is known for his playful and thought-provoking public art. Regarding the cash machine, he said at the time: “Banks have reacted to complaints about branch closures and accessibility by opening cashpoints on river bridges for boaters within minutes of Keir Starmer walking into No 10.”.
“The first is on Sonning Bridge.”. In 2021, Impro claimed responsibility for a mysterious telephone that appeared on Sonning Bridge over the River Thames, marked with an Emergency Flood Line sign. At the time, Impro joked that using the phone would “drain the Thames”, highlighting the local flooding concerns. “Making a call on this phone has to be carefully managed though as it would trigger an immediate draining of the Thames and we have to consider wildlife, naturist swimmers, and the pleasure boats of Henley,” he joked at the time.
