Project operation BEEFEATER - of man and his nature

Operation Beefeater, unlike so many “operations” we have become used to, is no covert, nocturnal drop behind the lines; or then again, maybe it is. At the heart of the mission lives a welcome benevolence and an exploration of values, of who you are, who I am, and who we are.
Armed with conviction and curiosity, artists Paul Stoppi and Magnus Sigurdarson, stand quietly in the middle of a suburban London street, Waiting patiently for the sun to come out. As the clouds part, they center justify themselves, oblivious to traffic, then burst out laughing as though on cue. Magnus, dressed in full Beefeater Ragalia, and Paul, behind the camera, reading light and waiting for an unwitting native to enter the scene, stage right.
Cars slow, onlookers stare and the police become curious as the world of instant recognition and easy explanation, grinds to a halt. All is not as it seems. Time slows and the collaborative art of the Paul and Magnus have conquered the imaginations of an unsuspecting audience as they conduct their social experiments in public.
Both from small islands, however disparate, The pair have individually explored themes of identity, disguise and anonymity. Jamaica can hardly be compared to Iceland, yet the two have developed a unique understanding for each otherís cultures, based on their understanding of their own childhood experiences in the context of the wider world....
Magnus Sigurdarson currently lives and works between Miami, Florida and Reykjavik, Iceland. His works can be found in many important institutions, such as Collezione La Gaia, Busca, Italy; The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland; MDD Museum Dhondt, Dhaenens, Gent, Belgium; The Icelandic National Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland; The Reykjavik Municipal Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland; The Corporate Collection Focus Group, New York; The Royal Caribbean Collection; The Public Collection of The Realted Group, Miami, Florida; as well as many private collections.
Paul Stoppi studied architecture in London and currently lives and works between Miami Beach and his native Jamaica. His works are part of the permanent collections of: The Bass Museum, Miami Beach, Florida; The Kiyosato Photography Museum, Kiyosato, Japan; National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica; The Wallace Campbell Collection, Kingston, Jamaica; The Royal Caribbean Collection; as well as many private collections.