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Curator Tania Rivera rethinks madness through art in 'Lugares do Delírio' exhibition

exhibition · 2026-04-23

Paulo Herkenhoff invited psychoanalyst and curator Tania Rivera to oversee an exhibition originally named 'Lugares da Loucura'. Rivera suggested renaming it 'delírio' to reinterpret madness as a multifaceted social construct. Drawing from Freudian concepts, she perceives delirium as both a creative force and a means of healing. The exhibition showcases Arthur Bispo do Rosário's boats alongside works from various artists, linking them to historical contexts such as Foucault's 'ship of fools'. The design featured suspended artworks to evoke a sense of delirium. It was subsequently displayed at Sesc Pompeia. From January to November 2026, several exhibitions throughout Brazil will explore topics like architecture, social justice, and feminism in cities such as São Paulo and Salvador.

Key facts

  • Tania Rivera curated 'Lugares do Delírio', originally proposed as 'Lugares da Loucura'.
  • The exhibition replaces 'loucura' with 'delírio' to avoid stigmatizing madness.
  • Arthur Bispo do Rosário's boats are a central element, linked to Foucault's 'ship of fools'.
  • Works are suspended with steel cables or placed on fragile tables to reject traditional display methods.
  • The exhibition was hosted at MAR and later at Sesc Pompeia, leveraging its non-white cube architecture.
  • Rivera's approach draws from Freud's view of delirium as an active reconstruction of reality.
  • The exhibition mixes works by famous and unknown artists, including those from psychiatric institutions.
  • Multiple other exhibitions are listed, covering themes from vernacular architecture to social justice across Brazil in 2026.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio)
  • Museu Bispo do Rosário
  • Sesc Pompeia
  • Galeria Galatea Salvador
  • Nara Roesler
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
  • Movimento Grevista Negro
  • Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
  • Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • Capela João de Camargo
  • Clube 28 de Setembro
  • CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
  • Phi Projetos
  • Cinnamon
  • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
  • Ateliê Marlene Barros
  • Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
  • Universidade de Aveiro
  • MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand)
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • FAMA Museu
  • IMS (Instituto Moreira Salles)
  • 10×10 Photobooks
  • Biblioteca de Fotografia do IMS
  • Getty Research Institute
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Rijksmuseum
  • New York Public Library
  • Livraria da Travessa do IMS Paulista
  • Simões de Assis
  • El Espacio 23
  • Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NONADA SP
  • NND|Azeco
  • DAN Galeria
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
  • Galeria Nara Roesler - SP
  • Fonte
  • Carmo Johnson Projects
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Pina Luz
  • Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
  • Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo (Funcultura)
  • Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
  • Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
  • Midiateca Capixaba
  • Governo do Brasil
  • Lei Rouanet
  • banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância

Locations

  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Brazil
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Vitória
  • Espírito Santo
  • Sorocaba
  • São Paulo
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • Itu
  • Nova York
  • United States
  • Los Angeles
  • Madri
  • Spain
  • Amsterdã
  • Netherlands
  • Miami
  • Florida
  • Porto Feliz
  • Mato Grosso
  • Grão-Pará
  • Argentina
  • Paraguay
  • La Puntana
  • Gran Chaco
  • Algarve
  • Portugal
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • Rio Grande do Sul
  • Recife
  • Pernambuco
  • Olinda
  • Zona Leste paulistana
  • Campo Grande
  • Ilha de Itaparica
  • Recôncavo Baiano
  • Fortaleza
  • Ceará
  • Tóquio
  • Japan
  • Mumbai
  • India
  • Pequim
  • China
  • Jacarta
  • Indonesia
  • Avenida Paulista, 1578, São Paulo
  • R. Chile, 22 - Centro, Salvador - BA
  • Av. Jerônimo Monteiro, 631, Centro, Vitória - ES
  • R. Barão de Piratininga, 555 - Jardim Faculdade, Sorocaba - SP
  • Praça da Sé, 111 – Centro – SP
  • Praça da Liberdade, 450 - Funcionários, Belo Horizonte - MG
  • Rua Vitorino Carmilo, 427 Barra Funda, São Paulo-SP
  • Rua Padre Bartolomeu Tadei, 9 – Centro – CEP 13300-190 – Itu – SP
  • Avenida Paulista, 2424 São Paulo - SP
  • Alameda Lorena, nº 2050 - Jardim Paulista
  • Rua Domingos Fernandes, nº 88 - Vila Nova Conceição - São Paulo - SP
  • Praça da Bandeira,53 – Centro, São Paulo - SP
  • Rua Estados Unidos, 1638 01427-002 São Paulo - SP
  • Av. Prof. Fonseca Rodrigues, 1300 - Alto de Pinheiros, São Paulo - SP, 05461-010
  • Rua da Biblioteca, 21, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo - SP
  • Avenida Europa, 655, São Paulo - SP
  • Rua Mourato Coelho 751, Vila Madalena, São Paulo - SP
  • Rua Anunze, 249 - Boaçava / Alto de Pinheiros, São Paulo - SP
  • Avenida Paulista, 149, Sâo Paulo - SP
  • Praça da Luz, 2, Bom Retiro, São Paulo — SP
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc, Rua Dr. Plínio Barreto, 285 - 4º andar, Bela Vista - São Paulo - SP

Sources

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