The Tate Modern art gallery on Monday announced an 11-year sponsorship deal with South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai.

The deal will fund the continuation of one-off displays by contemporary artists in the museum's iconic Turbine Hall which have been a feature of the annual round of exhibitions at the gallery since it opened in a converted power station in central London 13 years ago.

Tate Modern director Nicholas Serota told a press conference, "This sponsorship will last 11 years. It is the largest and longest that we have enjoyed with an international company."

Serota added, "It will give us an opportunity to extend the great commissions we have made for Tate Modern's Turbine Hall."

"The Turbine Hall is the iconic space at Tate Modern, and is the symbolic heart of the building," he said.

Serota would not reveal how much the sponsorship deal was worth.

British government Culture Secretary Maria Miller said, "Private sector support for the arts is absolutely vital in terms of generating a sustainable mixed economy for our arts organizations. And I think there are few that have done more than the Tate to get this right."

Previous star exhibits in the 35 meter high by 152 meter long Turbine Hall have included 'Marsyas' by Indian artist Anish Kapoor, who designed a tower for the London Olympics site, and French-American artist Louise Bourgeois 'I Do, I Undo, I Redo' which was the first exhibition in the space in 2000, and last year's 'These Associations' by British-German artist Tino Sehgal. Endi

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