Cacho Di Catarina’s Pulpería. Mercedes, Province of Buenos Aires.

Vintage analog print on fiber-based paper. Photograph: 28.4 x 18.58 cm. Secondary support: 23.52 x 30.3 cm. Copy number 1/10.

This photograph is part of a series created by Eduardo Longoni, a prominent contemporary Argentine photographer. His work will be featured at the Museum of the Americas in Madrid in an exhibition curated by Raquel Aznar and Lucía del Olmo, titled “Image and Memory: Argentina 1976–2003,” which introduces us to an artist who focuses on the identity of the Argentine people.

Regarding the motivation behind his search for markers of identity within the old *pulperías* (traditional rural taverns/general stores) of the Buenos Aires province, Eduardo explains: “Between 2012 and 2017, I wandered the roads of Buenos Aires province in search of these refuges—oases amidst the dust. In the *pulperías*, time moves to a different rhythm—one of pauses and slowness. Within these walls, you might order a *grapa* (grape brandy) while the person next to you is picking up a pair of *alpargatas* (canvas shoes). Someone might come in for a kilo of flour and leave with varnish, paintbrushes, and a roll of barbed wire—all packed into the same cardboard box. Leaning against the bar, you might overhear hushed conversations about improved corn yields, while at another table, bursts of laughter erupt as the winner of a game of *truco* slaps an ‘ace of swords’ card onto his own forehead. There are no screens here; things are tangible—truly so. In this sanctuary, which stands in opposition to the virtual world, I chose to forgo digital photography. The images in this series were captured the old-fashioned way: using black-and-white film, developed and printed on traditional analog paper. In this way, I felt in tune with the atmosphere I was documenting.”