"Veneradas y Temidas" in CaixaForum Zaragoza

"Veneradas y Temidas: el poder femenino en el arte y las creencias" is a British Museum globetrotting exhibition that opened in London in 2022 as "Feminine Power: the Devine to the Demonic" and has finally come to CaixaForum Zaragoza. 

The exhibition is a 5,000-year, cross-cultural stroll that shows the visitor how femininity has been perceived and represented by different faiths, mythologies and cultures across the world, often in contradictory terms: how women have been worshiped as the embodiment of protection, fertility, purity, gentleness and modesty, but often the very same goddesses have been feared as the epitomes of destruction, vengefulness, lust and wrath. Gender fluidity is also showcased in the exhibit, with artifacts of ancient non-binary deities, who display male and female sexual attributes and can transform into different animals to connect to mortals.  

The British Museum published a number of helpful guides for the teachers and students who are planning to visit "Feminine Power: the Devine to the Demonic", as well as comments by high-profile collaborators like Mary Beard, Elisabeth Day, Bonnie Greer, Rabbia Siddique and Deborah Francis-White, or by current religious communities, like the Bengali Hindu London Durgostav Committee (LDC), or the pagan Children of Artemis.  This kaleidoscope of opinions and materials will certainly sharpen the visitors' eyes to spot crucial details in the figures, and, hopefully, may open their minds to ideas beyond accepted beliefs and truths to prompt meaningful conversations with their companions.  Personally, I would stongly recommend watching a long video with subtitles below (01:11:43) "The curators introduction to the exhibition" -or at least parts of it- where Belinda Crerar and Lucy Dahlsen discuss the artistic and cultural significance of the highlights of the exhibition (note: in "Veneradas y Temidas", the exhibit touring Spain, Kiki Smith's Lilith 1994, has been substituted by Zanele Muholi's Somnyana IV 2015 etc., and John William Waterhouse's Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses 1891, has not come to Spain). 

C2 students who are planning to visit "Veneradas y Temidas" do not need to watch the whole video, they can just focus on the objects that catch their eye. The language in the video is rich and dense at times, so subtitles and pauses could help to pick up individual words and expressions such as: curator, to display, femininity,a deity, beliefs, faiths, to depict [in Art], bigendered, genderless, to honour [these deities], commonalities and contrasts, to run through [these themes], a [faith] community, a playwright, to prompt [questions], to tune in, to hand back [to Belinda], an artwork, a pioneering [artist], a multi-layered [narrative], sacred artefacts, vulva, to drag, to spin out, the cycle of life, [deliberately] provocative, Abrahamic [narrative], an unapologetically [feminist perspective], second wave feminist, [celebratory] imagery [associated with childbirth], visceral, crude, flexed [knees], labia, a carving, [artworks] on display, lust, emaciated, to trace [the interpretentions], [stories] revolve around, to transcend [gender], a print, Shinto, to stir [the primordial water], to bob [its tail], to embody [natural phenomena], to encapsulate, fiery [temper], to flow [like lava],rough/ polished texture, a dual/ multifaceted [nature], unpredictable, volatile, crossovers [between the sections], [female] agency, nudity, a relief, yuxtapositions, to epitomize the [male] gaze, to cover up, to avert [her gaze], to wield [power], rage, to worship, to underscore [other aspects], to mint [a coin], to honour [Venus], a shockingly [erotic image], [who is] in control [of her power], earthbound, stiff, demonology, to submit [to Adam], to lie [underneath Adam], defiance, to wreak [havoc], cast [from a body], crouched, on all fours, to embellish, temptress, [seemingly] blameless [Adam], to underscore [innate female deviousness, [women's] collusive [responsibility],  courtship, 

a cowherd, evil, esoteric [knowledge], to encapsulate, an icon of [feminist rebellion], to reinterpret, hunched [over], [the male] gaze, assertive [figure], to be tamed, to clutch [the chalice], [to have] the upper-hand, a deceptively [seductive figure], to look down her nose, witchcraft, voyeuristic, Sabbath, to epitomize, lust, to poke fun at, surrealist [artist], folk [belief], [feminity] to imbue [the natural world], to draw on [a standard belief], to transgress, demons, vengeance, an ogre, grief,
a sage, anger, jealousy, to encapsulate, furrowed brows, [emotional] turmoil, despair, annihilation, slaughter, wrath, to be venerated, to offset, to wipe them off [the planet], to rampage, harshness, to dye [beer red], Puja [celebrations], fearlessness, [demonic] hordes, to defeat [demons], enraged, emanations, to confront and overcome [injustice], compassion, to sever [her followers from greed, envy, ego], the Savior, [to guide] the faithful [to salvation], a striking [piece], straws, a shimmering [effect], a pilgrimage [site], straw mosaic, a calligraphy [work], upbringing, unshakeable fortitude, a role model, compassion, canonically, to lessen [her importance], an enlightened [being], goddess [of compassion], perceiver [of sound], genderless, wisdom, to be venerated, embodiment, to overcome [a vice], karma, a [fully meditative] pose, [a subject of] contention, seductiveness, sensuous, alluring, curvaceous, draped [in silks], jewels, nirvana.

C1 learners can read a shorter, easier prologue to Feminine Power written by curators Belinda Crerar and Lucy Dahlsen: "An Introduction to Feminine Power". C1 students will find interesting key words like: a sneak peek, belief, artwork, to shine [a light], femininity, a goddess, annihilation, embodiment, to showcase, primordial, vulva, to grasp, a breast, needleworkers, depiction, a deity, a goddess, a [reddish] hue, fiery[nature], flaming [hair], to flow [down], a rough/ polished texture, dual [nature], a relief, to stare [confidently and confrontationally], a [lion] mount, a tiered [crown], volatile, votive [models], to assert [her equality], defiance, to cast [the image from a real woman], piercing, lifelike, to crouch, on all fours, a [voyeuristic] gaze, to permeate [mythology], to defy [expectations of female submission], empowerment, bulging [eyes], a glyph, slaughter, to withhold [her wrath], to grant [healing and peace], scorching, to set up, garland, severed [heads], fearlessness, compassion, karma, enlightened [being], to fan out, to transcend [gender], androgynous, swiftly, to spring [into action], wrathful emanations.

Today covered the opening of the London exhibition on BBC Radio-4 back in May 2022. C2 learners can listen to the inauguration report with an interview to Elisabeth Day, and they can do a listening comprehension task and check their answers with the key. The list of key words can be used to follow the radio report without a script (these materials were already published on this blog, in the entry "Art and Femine Power"). Some interesting words and collocations in the Today report are: a goddess, a she-devil, a saint, a witch, to be betrayed, a blood-thirsty warrior, divine, demonic, to be installed, a gargoyle, a bronze [sculpture], to crawl, [about] to pounce, attached to [the wall], [female] defiance, [to refuse] to submit [to Adam], the Garden of Eden, happily ever after, to rebel, depiction, faiths and mythologies, a [painted] terracotta, dating [from 500 BC], snake-like [hair], fangs, to stick [her] tongue out, to have [someone] round for dinner, to reassess [things after Me Too], a survivor [of rape], [female] rage, a statement [of power], to be rageful, [to be sexually] assaulted, a male-dominated [industry],an all-boys [club], gratitude, to put up with [a lot of stuff], to range from,

an orgasm [machine], to impress [my bosses], [everyday sexual] harassment, micro-aggressions, an admission price [to being a woman], stepped into [my rage], bulbous [eyes], [to die in] childbirth, to be engaged [in a battle], to long for [children], yearning and shaped [by her lack of children], to open up [about a personal failure], [universal] resonance, my soul, [millennia of] patriarchy, to strive [against that], a cohesive narrative to [this exhibition].

"Vereradas y Temidas: el poder femenino en el arte y las creencias", CaixaForum Zaragoza, December 5th, 2024- March 23rd, 2025.

The Gates Foundation

Bill Gates talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about his life, his philanthropic work, vaccines, conspiracy theories and one of his hobbies, pickleball, on the BBC Radio-4 programme The Life Scientific. 

The interview is rather long (35:59), and has no script, so, it is recommended for C2 students, although they speak slowly and clearly and the vocabulary is not particularly difficult. Next you can find a list of some interesting words, which can be used as a rough listening guide for lower-level students: a [college] drop-out, a super-villain, his ethos, to take on [issues], child-mortality rates, to feed [that enthusiasm], malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, to partner with [governments], a mind-blowing [successful advent], [to organise] the funding, goofy [things], Slow-Horses, to fit in [exercise], pickleball, a low-key [interest], billionaireland, community [work], a [company] board, Planned-Parenthood, voracious, your niche, a flair for [programming], noughts & crosses, entranced, a [computer] bug, a payroll [programme], a [school] schedule, [to minimize] the disruption, endearing [level of complexity], a grade, hardcore, to reach out to [somebody], a [growing] buzz, exponential [capability], a spreadsheet, to drop out [of university], a fond [memory], to linger on well-trodden ground, a managerial [role], a  mistep, work-centric, commitment, to jump in, empowerment, an evangelist, monomaniacal, to mellow [you out], to overturn, to drag on, to get through, to figure out, to devote [time to something], [to change] the narrative, measles, smallpox, bednets, the chair [of a company], to strike me as [strange], mindset, developing countries, malnourished, to wield [that power], Gavi, a high bar, TB, at the forefront, expertise on [vaccines], an outlandish [conspiracy theory], to cull [the world population], a shortcut, to step down, debt, a [political] upheaval, to deliver [better education], to bridge [the polarization], to pursue [my curiosity].

Melinda French Gates gave an interview to Time magazine two months ago, after she started to pursue her own philanthropic goals away from the Gates Foundation. The YouTube clip (5:05) with subtitles is suitable for C1 students.  You can listen to her below:

International Women's Day 2024

March 8th is International Women's Day.  BBC News explains the origins of the event in International Women's Day: When is it and why is it important?. This article is suitable for B2 students, who will come across interesting words like: to mark, a seed, to march, an advocate, to tie [to], a strike, a tsar, a blossom, the legacy, a trailblazer, to highlight, gender violence, an allegation, rape, to ban, to hinder, to defy [the rules], lengthy jail terms, to be abducted, a ransom, wellbeing.

In another article, BBC 100 Women 2023, you can read about the  most inspiring and influential women of 2023, including Spanish football player Aitana Bonmatí (this video is in Spanish, Catalan and English, with a voice over in Spanish), Qiyun Woo, a storyteller and environmentalist from Singapore; Timmit Gebru, an AI expert and anti-racial bias campaigner from Ethiopia, Huda Kattan, an American beauty businesswoman; Najla Mohamed-Lamin, a Western Sahara women's rights and climate activist; Isabel Farías Meyer, an early menopause campaigner from Chile; Sara Al-Saqqa, a general surgeon in the Palestinian Territories (the images in the video might hurt your sensibility); Sonia Guajajara, a State Minister in Brazil; America Ferrera, the actress who played Barbie and its iconic monologue.

Paulina Chiziane, a writer in Mozambique, Clara Elizabeth Fragoso Ugarte, a Mexican truck driver (this video is in Spanish); Xu Zaozao, an egg freezing campaigner in China (this video is in Chinese with English subtitles), Ulanda Mtamba, a campaigner against child marriage in Malawi.

Afroze-Numa, a shepherdess in Pakistan (the video is in Wakhi language with French subtitles), Neema Namadamu, a disability rights campaigner in Congo, Gloria Steinem, a feminist leader in the US, Sumini, a forest manager in Indonesia, Yael Braudo-Bahat, a peace activist in Israel, Vee Kativhu, a YouTuber in Zimbabwe and UK, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, a Ugandan veterinarian, and Dayeon Lee, a campaigner for Kpop4Planet in South Korea, among other women. 

The articles and the videos can be used with C1 students and above. Some interesting words you can find in the BBC article are: to reveal, attorney, a wildfire, a flood, to tackle, to break down, overwhelming, to dismantle, a shepherdess, a yak, to die out, a flock, barter, bias, to be fired, to raise an issue, to freeze [he eggs], procedure, to take [the hospital] to court, the verdict, pending, to rally [K-pop fans], to pivot, a pledge, to prevent [the hospital] from [treating patients], to raid [a hospital], a target, to follow in her footstepts, early menopause, [ovarian] failure, to launch, a network, to grow up in [Oklahoma], to shun [a corporate career], to pursue [her passion], to enroll in [a school], a clientele, a brand, to encompass, a midfielder, to be crowned, to speak out [for equality], to be overshadowed, the fallout, the burgeoning [indigenous rights movement], to vow [to make], illiterate, to wreak on [an ecosystem], lead [actress category], to flee [violence], a sandstorm, grassroots, outskirts, to juggle, to set up, endangered, eroded, to downgrade, to address [a crisis], the mainstream, a seasoned [organisation], floods, deforestation, forestry, logging, at-risk [wildlife], rampant, poaching, to tackle [a crisis], to drop out [of school], to owe [much to her mentor], to foster [understanding].

To finish the entry with a joyful note, you can watch Dayeon dancing "Se Acabó" and celebrate International Women's Day, 2024:

Queen: Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody and Guitarrist Brian May

First-generation American actor, Rami Malek, talks about how he auditioned to get his starring role as Freddie Mercury in the film Bohemian Rhapsody and how he prepared for the job. The son of an Egyptian coptic Christian family of inmigrants to the USA, Rami Malek worked his way in Hollywood by delivering pizzas with his CV (resumé in American English) to all famous producers that came to his fast food restaurant. He also had a starring role in the TV show "Mr. Robot", where he plays a brilliant computer hacker who has serious mental problems.

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On this second link, Terry Goss talks to Brian May, Queen guitarrist, about the making of the songs "We Will Rock You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", about the ups and downs of the popularity of Queen in the USA, about astrophysics, among other things. Brian May speaks excellent English with a very clear British accent.