Join in welcoming back Villa Albertine Atlanta as they kick off the Villa’s 2025 season of residencies with this event featuring writer and publisher Walid Hajar Rachedi!
"Since its beginnings, rap has continuously invoked literature. Whether it’s through claimed lineage, tribute, or a strong nod, the words of so-called legitimate culture permeate the works of all generations of rappers. While the influence of literature on rap is often discussed, the reverse is less common. Confined to the role of counter-culture, or even ‘sub-culture,’ relegated to the margins of literary studies, rap, however, inspires the new French literary scene: many writers grew up with this music, cite rap albums among their major references, and have drawn inspiration from it to approach language and the world in their first manuscripts. How does this influence manifest? What bridges are formed between these two art forms? What does it reveal about the impact of rap on literature and culture?" (Walid Hajar Rachedi)
Walid Hajar Rachedi is a French author and publisher currently in residency in Atlanta with Villa Albertine, exploring identity, immigration, and societal fractures through his project What’s Left of the American Dream. Born in France in 1981 to Algerian parents, he has lived in Latin America and the U.S. His debut novel, Qu’est-ce que j’irais faire au paradis?, was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize in 2022, and his second novel, Nos destins sont liés (Emmanuelle Collas, 2023), was deeply influenced by rap, one of his foundational inspirations. He is also the co-founder of Frictions, a renowned media platform known for long-form investigative storytelling and podcasts on global social issues.
Join us for a transformative morning of movement and sound at Flow State, a one-hour immersive yoga experience led by Sydney McCall, accompanied by the live sounds.
Join us for a family-friendly art workshop as part of the Contemporary Kids program, where kids of all ages can explore their creativity and engage with the themes of contemporary art!
A Cross Pollination Iron Art Event | by Allen Peterson and Friends
Ticketed
We kick off the new year with a performance art event with Allen Peterson and Friends in which crews of sculptors melt scrap iron and pour it into reusable molds to form bird-sized honeybee forms. Like puppets, these bees “fly” through the night in formations inspired by the dance-based language honeybees use to communicate and cooperate inside the hive.
