Five Artists in the News: Esther Mahlangu’s Mural, Jonas Woods Love of House Plants and Rankin Blames AI for Bankrupting Ad Agency

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Five Artists in the News: Esther Mahlangu’s Mural, Jonas Woods Love of House Plants and Rankin Blames AI for Bankrupting Ad Agency

3 min read  ·  07 Oct 2024

Esther Mahlangu, photo by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery, via Serpentine Galleries

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London: Jonas Wood at Gagosian, Jack Whitten at Hauser and Wirth are just two of the shows that make CulturedMag’s must-see list during Frieze Week.

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London: Esther Mahlangu's new mural is now on view at Serpentine North's garden featuring the veteran South African artist’s signature Ndebele motifs. Instagram

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Profile: Samia Halaby admits: “I hate to put it this way but it was kind of exciting,” recalling the Indiana University museum’s decision to cancel the veteran Palestinian-American’s retrospective, she tells Artnet News.

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Paris: A Rene Magritte painting once owned by cosmetic millionaire Elizabeth Arden heads to auction with a $3.29m estimate. HENI News

5

Profile: James Magee, the artist who spent decades building the Hill, a monument of stone and steel in the West Texas desert, has died. He was 79. The New York Times

In other news

Market: Economist Clare McAndrew tells the Guardian that high-end sales are down but “If you talk to dealers, they were saying people were willing to spend five- and six-figure sums quite easily at some of the bigger fairs."

Market: Rankin’s advertising agency has filed for bankruptcy. The photographer blamed reduced budgets and competition from AI-based solutions, The Art Newspaper reports.

"‘I’m not a Bible thumper for plants… I’m a painter and admirer of plants.’ Jonas Woods dismisses the suggestion he is a botanist as the LA-based artist’s solo show opens in Gagosian in London."

- Financial Times