Fill in the blank: "Many of the artists presented (his or her, their) work at the exhibition."

Using "their" in the sentence "Many of the artists presented their work at the exhibition" is correct because it reflects a plural subject, "artists." When referring to a group of people, "their" is commonly used as a singular or plural gender-neutral pronoun. This allows for inclusivity, acknowledging that artists can be of any gender.

It also maintains grammatical agreement because "their" corresponds to the plural noun "artists." This usage avoids the awkwardness of saying "his or her" for each individual in a plural context, making the sentence smoother and more natural in contemporary English.

Other options do not fit as appropriately. For instance, "his or her" is singular and does not align with the plural subject, while "its" is typically used for singular non-human nouns and does not apply to people. "Her" is also singular and restricts the reference to female artists only, which is neither inclusive nor suitable for the context. Thus, "their" is the most fitting choice for the sentence.