RITA SABO

First solo exhibition in Italy for young artist Rita Sabo. Coinciding with the 18th Architecture Biennale, the historic Monumental Halls of the Marciana Library hosted Sacred Planet, an exhibition of works by the Caucasian but now Viennese artist by adoption that was curated by Manfred Moller and promoted and organized by the Associazione l’Arte in Pubblico by Dirk Geuer.

11 large-format paintings in addition to a striking sculpture representing the planet, a work that gives the entire exhibition its title. In all the works on display the artist “orbits” around the theme of sustainability, at the center of which the Earth represents a sacred planet and, as such, untouchable. The title of the exhibition echoes that of a famous documentary made over twenty years ago by Walt Disney and which, in the original version, featured narration by Robert Redfort.

Rita Sabo’s kaleidoscopic and brightly colored works can be interpreted as an artistic call for respect toward our planet as a habitat and toward its protection against exploitation and pollution. The installations are intertwined with an additional sacredness, that expressed by the Venetian Library Headquarters, forming an enigmatic and mysterious environment rich in vibrant colours, pathos and overlapping dimensions.

With this solo show, Rita engages viewers in her world; the works enter into a privileged dialogue with prestigious works of the Venetian Renaissance, with masters such as Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.

Technique and philosophy

Rita Sabo’s use of colors and abstract subject matter is not a dreamlike impressionism of reality; with a mixture of brushstrokes and composed shapes, she chooses instead to dive into the dark chambers of our imagination and encourages exploration within the tortuous territory of our minds. The result of her art is thus kaleidoscopic, emboldened and hyperpigmented, yet at the same time orderly and infinite. This makes Rita Sabo part of a new generation of women artists who are seeking a spiritual experience and engagement.

From her work emerges a new library of symbols which bears the unmistakable artistic signature of Rita Sabo and is found in her latest ink drawings. She knows how to transform the mystical signs of the past into her own interpretation of the present.

The fulcrum of Rita Sabo’s work is “Sacred Planet”. This unifies the forces: those of geometry and those of nature. It depicts an alluring hybrid between a star and a planet, often associated with celestial objects and navigation; a powerful symbol of the connection and harmony of all things in the universe and on planet earth.

Rita Sabo’s paintings, drawings and sculptural works are also accompanied by a new series of graphic works; a systematic progression of geometric shapes, square formats and highly complex layers.

The Artist
Born in the North Caucasus region, Rita Sabo grew up multilingual in Jerusalem (Israel) and later in Switzerland. She lived in Zurich and Basel where she attended local art schools, before moving to the Invers Art School in Olten. With a strong focus on painting, she also continued her studies in jewellery design at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

Once handled institutional relationships with the exhibition venue, the set-up and dismantling phases, exhibition communication and the vernissage.