SPV Ltd was formed in 2012 by 3 artists and a Tax Director. SPV Ltd perform and problematise financial transactions in order to question labour and economic devices:-

2014 SPV (Holding) Ltd, Sub-Cell, Old Police Cells, Brighton. Curated by Rosie Hermon. 5th-6th December

2014 SPV (Trans-Channel) Ltd, Diep-Haven Festival: 'Entre Deux/In Between'. SPV Ltd offered a tax free haven and a shoe cleaning franchise opportunity on the cross-channel ferry between Newhaven and Dieppe, 19 August. Curated by Alice Schÿler Mallet and Amélie Mourgued’Algue. Supported by Ministère de la Culture and Arts Council of England.

2013 SPV (Buconero) Ltd ‘Providers of a Tax Free Haven’, curated by Quare, London. September 29

2013 SPV (Buconero) Ltd, ‘Providers of a Tax Free Haven’, LUPA 20, London. June 15

2012 HINTERHINTER Presents, SPV (Buconero) Ltd, Hove
Founders of SPV Ltd: Claire Makhlouf Carter, Nadine Feinson, Apollo Korzeniowski, Nadia Visram

2014 SPV (Trans-Channel) Ltd, Diep-Haven Festival: 'Entre Deux/In Between'

A tax haven is declared on a ferry once it reaches international waters via a public address system. Ferry passengers and staff enter into the possibility of laundering money and the potential to acquire a franchise in a footwear service industry. The work adopts methods, forms and language from service industries, business and law.

The work existed as a series of transactions, which generated a range of material including flyers, contracts, franchises, currency exchanges, instructional texts, a translation service, public announcements, sculptural props and a shoe cleaning service.

The work was sited in the ferry bar, in a cabin for holding illegal immigrants and over the public address system.

SPV Ltd provided a tax haven outside of UK and French therritorial waters. The Captain, First Officer made a public announcement once the ferry has travelled 12 nautical miles from land.

The announcement, in French and English, stated the following:
‘We have just left UK/French territorial waters. It is now legal for any tax haven to open for business. All transactions entered into with SPV Ltd – providers of a tax haven must be completed before we enter French territorial waters. If you would like to participate in this venture please speak to Apollo Korzeniowski, Tax Director. He can be found in the bar area at the SPV Ltd desk.

The tax haven operated during both crossings. The Law of the Sea as signaled by the announcement on the Ferry operated to demarcate the beginning and the end of the tax haven.

The Tax Director was the first point of contact for all parties interested in participating in the tax haven.

The SPV Ltd desk provided a range of material for interested parties, including:

The Operations Manual. The Manual details how the SPV Ltd franchise operates and defines SPV Ltd’s footwear cleaning rules and regulations. A franchise could be purchased at the SPV Ltd desk. Two maps of France and the UK are available for viewing. These maps depict the areas a franchisee can buy and operate from, once the franchise transaction has been completed. Areas for purchase are defined by postal codes (codes postaux).

The Tax Director, with the help of a translator, explained how the SPV Ltd franchise worked, with reference to the Operations Manual and the maps.

The shoe cleaning service was seen by some passengers as front for a money laundering service, or a “loss leader” to encourage a franchise purchase. The franchise was seen itself to be a business or front for nefarious activities.

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/24809