Fascinated by the stories of the pioneers and settlers who traveled to America, Fernando Maquieira went on the renowned Ruta 40 [Route 40] in order to try to understand the experiences these travelers might have had. Route 40 is an Argentine road that runs parallel to the Andes Mountains and traverses the country from north to south over the course of more than 5000 km. The path, which runs through more than 11 provinces and 20 national parks and rivers, is full of uncharted territory.

Maquieira kicked off his travels in Quiaca, located on a border crossing between Argentina and Bolivia, and ended in Ushuaia, dividing the journey into two trips. For the first leg, reaching San Carlos de Bariloche, he was aided by the Government of Argentina; the second leg was funded by a grant he received year later from the Fundación La Caixa FotoPres. His reportage includes black and white photographs, in which the author attempts to highlight forms, and in color photographs such as this portrait of a worker made in Salina Grande. Like in classic travel photography, Maquieira portrays the places and the people he meets along the way in an effort to highlight their exceptionality.