Bendigo transformed by Frida Kahlo exhibition and Mexican fiesta
Bendigo is hosting new exhibition showcasing the personal items of the Mexican artist and the town is throwing a four-month fiesta to celebrate. Here is why you should go.
When the trunks were finally opened after being sealed for decades in La Casa Azul, the scent of Frida lingered. A wisp of rose perfume. The faint, smoky murmur of cigarettes. Inside were the fragments of a vibrant life: embroidered huipil (sleeveless tunics) from Mexico’s Tehuantepec region, brightly painted orthopaedic corsets, red tubes of lipstick worn to the nub.
Now, half a world away in regional Victoria, the personal possessions of one of the 20th century’s most iconic artists are on display at a new exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery called Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image.
Most of us are familiar with Kahlo – the monobrow, intricately braided hair piled atop her head, the sinuous spider monkey tucked into the crook of her arm – but what strikes me most about this show is it how it reveals her true identity.
Born in Mexico City in 1907 to a Hungarian-German father and a Spanish mother, Kahlo was known primarily as the wife of renowned muralist Diego Rivera. But from a young age, she used photography, painting and fashion as self-expression. Her lifelong experience with pain and disability stemmed from childhood polio and a near-fatal bus accident, and these fuelled raw, unflinching self-portraits that explored her fractured body as a site of strength, identity and resistance.
Many of Kahlo’s belongings were locked away at Rivera’s instruction after her death in 1954, and this immersive exhibition brings them into public view. While the gallery includes only a handful of her paintings, its power lies in the deeply personal collection of clothing, jewellery, medical items and photographs that reveal how Kahlo turned her identity into art. As I round the final corner of the display, I find myself wanting to double back and see it all again.
But beyond the gallery walls, Kahlo’s spirit has spilled on to the streets for Fiesta Bendigo, a four-month celebration of the artist’s life and influence. There are more than 90 Mexican-inspired experiences on offer, from a taco trail (with 20 local eateries creating unique tacos) to floral headpiece workshops, mariachi bands, tequila tastings and textile sessions.
Just one block from the gallery is Terrae, a restaurant housed inside a grand former banking hall (if you look closely, you can see a bullet hole from an attempted robbery in the 1800s). Owner David Cook-Doulton believes there’s a natural link between the gallery and his restaurant. “Art is always about story and people,” he says. “It reflects our politics, our culture and our society.” That spirit flows through Terrae’s seasonal menu.
Nearby at Alium, crispy duck bao buns offer an Asian take on the taco, and from the special Fiesta cocktail list I choose the El Picante, a punchy mix of Tromba Tequila, pear liqueur, lime juice and agave syrup, its rim dusted with Tajin chilli and lime salt. But what really steals the show is dessert: a peanut butter mousse riffing on a Snickers bar with a bitter chocolate ice cream and caramel espuma (foam). Full as I was, I kept going back for one more spoonful.
Across town, Bendigo Brewing adds its own, more relaxed notes to the Fiesta rhythm. Here head brewer Evan Hunter creates beers that are connected to old traditions and grains. There are 11 beers on tap, from the hop-forward Plains Hazy, brewed with an heirloom Ethiopian barley, to the unique Dragon City smoked raspberry sour. Their Fiesta twist? A brisket- and salsa-laced taco pizza that pairs perfectly with their Long Time lager.
That evening I stay at Langley Estate, a sprawling Federation-era mansion built in 1904, just three years before Kahlo was born. Once the Bendigo Bishop’s Palace, the house still carries the grandeur of the goldfields era, with more than 50 rooms, many featuring stained-glass windows and rich timber detailing. Owners Thomas and Simone Heywood have quietly reanimated the space, with regular concerts in the on-site chapel.
Early the next morning, I head to Omari, a sun-dappled cafe enveloped by the Bendigo Botanic Gardens. Here I try an indulgent dessert-for-breakfast: the S’more than a Taco, a crisp shell filled with chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallows. The cafe also plays host to Frida-style headpiece workshops run by Botanical Lane, where guests create silk-and-dried flower crowns. With sangria and ribbons in hand, you get the distinct feeling it’s the kind of revelry Kahlo herself would have appreciated.
Close by, the Fiesta-themed Tram Cafe blooms with the same celebratory energy. Stationary but bursting with colour, the vintage tram is decked out in bright flowers and Frida flair. On the menu is the delicious golden “taco”, a pair of golden waffles cradling generous scoops of salted caramel and boysenberry gelato. Lunch is at The Woodhouse, a local favourite known for its dry-aged steaks. For Fiesta, it has created a special Frida-inspired menu, including snapper fillet with a Veracruz-style sauce, churros with chocolate chilli ice cream and a piquant mango mescal margarita.
To finish the day, I drive out to In Good Spirits, a small-batch distillery tucked among the vines of Toolleen. Owner Andreas Greiving crafts his tequila from scratch, hand-bottled and hand-waxed, using agave syrup imported from Mexico. In front of the grape vines, 750 stubby green-blue agave plants, like prickly leeks with attitude, stretch into the distance. “It’ll take five years for these to mature,” Greiving says, “but I’m happy to wait.”
As I take a sip of the strong, clear spirit, it makes me think of the trunks at La Casa Azul, sealed for 50 years upon Kahlo’s death – a reminder that the best stories unfold slowly and in their own time.
In the know
Frida Kahlo: In her own image is at Bendigo Art Gallery until July 13. Adult tickets $35. There are more than 90 events happening in the region as part of Fiesta Bendigo.
Lindy Alexander was a guest of Bendigo Tourism.
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