Russian Patriarch weighs in on contemporary art, laments Malevich’s ‘empty soul’

At a conference on February 2, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, unexpectedly offered his view of Kazimir Malevich's famous Black Square painting. According to Kirill, the piece has earned its rightful place in contemporary art, but only because it reflects, he says, humanity's depressing demise.

“Precisely because this dreadful black square reflects perfectly what was going on inside this Malevich’s soul. And it’s not just Malevich—it reflects the essence of the entire era.”