Melanie Cobham<br>Bodybuilding
Flâneuring the strangely familiar Bodybuilding: Flâneuring the strangely familiar is the debut photobook of multidisciplinary artist and photographer Melanie Cobham which traces her early years in Melbourne/Naarm after relocating from Uruguay just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Created in a time marked by isolation and extended lockdowns, Cobham utilised photography to observe, make sense of and connect with her new surroundings. The photobook, as a result, portrays a quiet and contemplative view of Melbourne/Naarm’s urban landscape, devoid of people and filled with fleeting details, surreal reflections and architectural forms. The photographs reflect the perspective of the modern-day flâneur, observing and examining her surroundings with an intentional sense of detachment; one that allowed Cobham to immerse into the city experiencing an urban standstill. The result is an introspective and deeply poetic observation of a city through a pair of unfamiliar eyes, transforming solitude with