ArtDayME - Rooted Movements, a special exhibition presented in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, has opened as part of the inaugural NOMAD Hamptons 2026 in the United States, bringing together the work of three Emirati artists.

Featuring Afra Al Dhaheri, Zuhoor Al Sayegh, and Azza Al Qubaisi, the exhibition is installed across the grounds of The Watermill Center in New York. Through a dialogue between identity, memory, and movement, the exhibition explores how cultural knowledge, stories, and traditions remain connected to their origins even as they travel across time and geography.

Drawing on tactile materials such as hair, rope, palm offshoots, and traditional weaving, the artists treat these elements not simply as artistic media, but as living carriers of cultural memory. Their works redefine movement not as a form of rupture, but as an essential condition for growth, continuity, and belonging.

Rooted Movements is one of the highlights of NOMAD Hamptons 2026, which runs from 25–28 June at The Watermill Center. The event marks NOMAD's first edition in the United States, following previous editions in Capri, St. Moritz, Monaco, Venice, and Abu Dhabi.

According to the organizers, cultural exchange—particularly between the Arab world and the international art community—is a central focus of this year's edition. Rooted Movements reflects that vision by showcasing contemporary Emirati artistic practices while emphasizing the enduring strength of cultural connections across distance and time.

Photos credit: Abu Dhabi Culture