Art and Problems at the Venice Biennale

May 12, 2026, 16:26
EuropeCulture

Introduction

The Venice Biennale is a big art show. Now, there are problems between countries and stories about the past.

Main Body

The German pavilion shows art by Sung Tieu. He talks about workers from Vietnam in old Germany. These workers were lonely and some people were mean to them. Tieu uses a small building to show this history. Many countries are angry about the Russian pavilion. Countries like Spain and Poland do not want Russia there. They say Russia is bad because of the war in Ukraine. Because of this, the European Union stopped a payment of 2 million euros. The art judges also left the show. They are unhappy with the rules about which countries can join.

Conclusion

The art show is a place where art and world politics fight.

Learning

🧩 How to describe people's feelings

In this story, we see words that tell us if people are happy or sad. To reach A2, you need to connect a person to a feeling.

The Pattern: Person + is/are + Feeling Word

  • Workers →\rightarrow were lonely (Past feeling)
  • Countries →\rightarrow are angry (Present feeling)
  • Judges →\rightarrow are unhappy (Present feeling)

💡 Simple Word Swap

If you want to change the feeling, just swap the last word:

  • They are angry →\rightarrow They are sad →\rightarrow They are happy.

⚠️ Quick Tip

Notice the word 'mean'. When we say "some people were mean," it describes their personality. It is a simple way to say they were not kind.

Vocabulary Learning

art (n.)
creative work using visual or performance media
Example:She loves to paint and create art.
show (v.)
to display or present something publicly
Example:The museum will show new paintings next week.
big (adj.)
large in size or amount
Example:The city has a big park.
problem (n.)
a situation that needs a solution
Example:We have a problem with the broken window.
country (n.)
a nation with its own government
Example:France is a country in Europe.
story (n.)
a narrative about events
Example:He told a story about his childhood.
past (adj.)
before the present time
Example:We learned about the past of the town.
worker (n.)
someone who does physical or manual work
Example:The workers built the bridge.
lonely (adj.)
feeling alone or isolated
Example:She felt lonely after moving to a new city.
mean (adj.)
unfriendly or cruel
Example:He was mean to his classmates.
small (adj.)
not big in size
Example:They live in a small house.
building (n.)
a structure with walls and a roof
Example:The building is used as a school.
history (n.)
the study of past events
Example:History helps us learn from mistakes.
war (n.)
conflict between countries or groups
Example:The war lasted for many years.
payment (n.)
the act of giving money for goods or services
Example:He made a payment for the ticket.