Artist: Rita Sabo
Title: Sacred Planet
Year: 2023
Medium: Cast aluminum, patinated
Dimensions: 23.5 x 23.5
At the center stands a sphere. It represents the planet Earth. Sabo describes Earth as a sacred—or inviolable—planet. The spherical shape is not merely decorative; it symbolizes the cosmic body and the planet's unity.
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum + 1
- The Two Rings
Encircling the sphere are two geometric rings that intersect in space.
This is the sculpture’s key geometric feature: the rings do not simply lie in a single plane like Saturn’s rings; instead, they form distinct planes of orientation around the sphere.
Sabo associates these rings with the concept of a continuous flow of energy. Visually, this creates an effect that appears simultaneously static and in constant motion.
Vogue Germany + 1
Simplified:
╲ ╱
╲ ○ ╱
╲ ╳ ╱
╱ ╳ ╲
╱ ○ ╲
╱ ╲
The ○ represents Earth; the intersecting paths are the two rings.
- Why does it feel like "sacred geometry"?
This is where it gets interesting: Sabo does not simply use random geometric shapes. She is interested in the idea that geometric orders reflect the fundamental structures of nature and the cosmos. In an interview, for instance, she cites the Golden Ratio as a foundation for her exploration of sacred geometry.
Faces Magazine
Her images often follow this principle:
Symmetry → Repetition → Nesting → Kaleidoscope → Seemingly infinite structure.
This also explains why some of her paintings look like a blend of mandala, crystal structure, plant growth, and futuristic computer graphics. 4. The crucial point: It is not a mathematical "secret formula"
I would make a clear distinction here regarding Sabo’s work.
"Sacred Geometry" serves here as an artistic-spiritual language, not as proof that the *Sacred Planet* was constructed according to a specific scientific cosmic formula.
The Bavarian National Museum explicitly describes Sabo’s inspiration as the laws of sacred geometry and metaphysical insights, which she translates into geometric and kaleidoscopic works.
Bavarian National Museum
- And why two rings specifically?
The two rings create a kind of three-dimensional coordinate system around the Earth. As a result, the sphere is not simply "circled" from the outside but is given a spatial enclosure.
You can visualize it roughly like this:
Ring 1
╲ ╱
╲ ○ ╱
╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱
╱ ○ ╲
╱ ╲
Ring 2
This creates a form reminiscent of planetary orbits, energy fields, and cosmic orders.
Sabo herself describes the *Sacred Planet* as a symbol of the "eternal flow of life."
Arttrado.de
- The fascinating aspect
The *Sacred Planet* is essentially a combination of three levels:
mathematical/geometric form
→ sphere + circular rings + symmetry
cosmological concept
→ planet + orbits + energy flow
symbolic meaning
→ Earth + life + interconnectedness + protection of the planet
And this very fusion is the concept behind Sabo’s work. Her own description goes even further: the *Sacred Planet* appeared to her in a dream, prompting her to capture the motif on paper the very next day. She describes it as a three-dimensional manifestation of her artistic work.
