[3] National participants were asked to focus on "the need for more inclusive social housing and urban connectivity.
[3] The first-ever participation by Iraq was an exhibition called Ark re-imagined: The expeditionary pavilion by Rashad Salim, curated by Safina Projects, produced by Community Jameel and Culturunners, and commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.
[7] The pavilion was hosted by TBA21–Academy at the Ocean Space in the church of San Lorenzo.
[8] The pavilion examined the role of traditional Marsh Arab watercraft from the Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq, their relationship to gondolas and the Venetian lagoon, and human responses to climate change.
[9][10] The pavilion was selected by The Art Newspaper, Architectural Digest and ArchDaily in their reviews of pavilions to-see, and received extensiove coverage in Arab media, including Arab News, The National and Gulf Today.