An enormous phallic sculpture, female nudes stuck with cigarettes, washing machines and freezers mark the UK national show at the world's biggest visual arts festival.

The show, by Sarah Lucas, is entitled I Scream Daddio and is marked by a very large sculpture of male genitalia in the pavilion's entrance in the Giardini gardens of Venice.

Two large male forms are called Gold Cup Maradona and Deep Cream Maradona, but the majority of the show are plaster casts of the female body.

The artist said she was inspired by the idea of dessert, and the interior of the UK Pavilion is painted bright yellow.

Lucas said she was inspired to name the works after the Argentinian footballer, infamous for his 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, because he was a "lickable looking guy".

While Scotland's show, by Graham Fagen, ruminates on history, slavery and music, Lucas's show, she said, is "for women."

The show also features casts, cut at the waist, of real women she calls Muses, including her friends, naked, a washing machine, a deep freezer, and concrete furniture.

She said the over riding colour of the show - yellow - was inspired by the idea of the exhibition being a kind of dessert.

Lucas said: "My overall conception for the show is that it should have the appearance of a dessert, a confection.

"Specifically, Floating Islands, Iles Flottantes in the French recipe, with the women, my muses, taking the role of the meringues, and Maradona playing the role of the chief popsicle."

Lucas said the show was "for women" and added: "I am a woman and I cannot avoid that.

"I read the show as being for women.

"Yes I am a feminist and it is a feminine show but I am not on my soapbox.

"I didn't want to make a career based on being angry because it would have been bad for my health."

Other sculptures in the show reference cats - common in Venice - and an octopus.

www.britishcouncil.org/visualarts