At a time of daily challenges to what may have once seemed like an unquestionable idea of rationality – like in the recent episodes of intolerance that have produced unacceptable violence on a local and global scale –, MAR begins its programme of exhibitions for 2017 with an exhibition dedicated to delirium, the creative force that concerns everybody in its political capacity of repositioning reason.

If the 21st century has compelled us to review sense ("good sense" and "common sense" in particular), we cannot do so without also reconsidering "dissent" and "nonsense", that which should not hypothetically have ties of meaning. Starting from these inquiries, Places of delirium was idealised more than two years ago by its first cultural director, Paulo Herkenhoff. At his invitation, curator Tania Rivera proposes a delicate network of experiences, works and projects that show forms of resistance and agencying of forces that do not conform to models of rationality.

Continuing the Art and Society in Brazil programme – a cultural axis dedicated to urgent aspects of social life in the country, such as housing and education –, Tania Rivera's curatorship is the result of a comprehensive project of commissioning work. Through this, MAR has promoted coexistence and collaboration between diverse creative experiences in the city of Rio de Janeiro, like in the programme of residencies held in partnership with Museu Bispo do Rosário Arte Contemporânea or in supportting the Arte + Cuidado group.

At the same time, Places of delirium is an unrivalled opportunity, without distinguishing between users and non-users of the mental health system, to intersect works of artists from other parts of Brazil and the word – some of them iconic, such as the work by Fernand Deligny on autism. Aware that the heterogeneity of this project was especially possible given the network of collaboration formed around it, we would like to thank to all the artists, lenders, researchers and institutions engaged in the construction of these Places of delirium