The 2005 Atlanta Biennial kicks off this Saturday and runs through June 4 at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. This year it is focusing on artists from all over the Southeast including Barbara Campbell (Greensboro, NC), Benita Carr (Atlanta, GA), Santiago De Paoli (Atlanta, GA), Stephanie Dotson (Athens, GA ), Jennifer Drummond (Farmington, GA), Ben Fain (Atlanta, GA), Mirtha Ferrer (Atlanta, GA), Sally Heller (New Orleans, LA), Terri Jones (Memphis, TN), Dona Lief (New Orleans, LA), Lester Julian Merriweather (Memphis, TN), Christopher McNulty (Auburn, AL), Amy Pleasant )Birmingham, AL), Jane Timberlake (Birmingham, AL), Cody VanderKaay (Athens, GA), Matthew Weddington (Lexington, Kentucky).

The Atlanta Biennial began in 1984 as a response to the Whitney Museum’s survey of influential artists. Noticeably, in 2004 this survey contained zero Southern artists.

In addition to several respected local figures, the exhibition features emerging artists – including some still in graduate school – and those with established reputations who are not part of the Atlanta visual arts circuit. While a number of artists mine the potential of traditional media like painting, sculpture, and photography, many work across conventional boundaries, incorporating a wide array of materials and approaches in their work.

ìOf course the show reflects my tastes,î notes [Curator Helena] Reckitt. ìIím interested in conceptually-oriented work, especially if it has a sense of wit or humor. My background in feminism makes me sympathetic to work which explores the broad area of ëthe feminine.í I am suspicious of grandiose statements in art and am drawn to a delicate aesthetic. That said, I also enjoy artwork that provokes a strong, visceral response.î