David Zwirner Artists Among The Cast of Luca Guadagnino’s "Queer"

Some unexpected cameos also came to light in lieu of the film’s announcement. It seems that Belgian painter Michaël Borremans and Romanian sculptor Andra Ursuța will also form part of the acting ensemble, though their roles are not clear as of now. This was later confirmed by David Zwirner gallery, who represents both artists. 

Borremans, who has been lauded by the New York Times as one of "the greatest living figurative painters," has also found himself in a fair share of controversy over the past few years. Claiming to draw inspiration from Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Diego Velázquez, he is best known for surrealist-leaning work and paintings of gruesome scenes in hyper-realistic style. 

In November of 2022, Borremans was involved in the backlash surrounding a highly controversial Balenciaga ad campaign. The strange and seemingly intentional advertisements depict rows of silver jewelry, bags, hair accessories, water bottles, and sunglasses, as a toddler stands nearby holding a BDSM-clad teddy bear. Images that were released among the same series feature Borremans' book, As Sweet as It Gets (2014), in the background.

Though it’s unknown whether Borremans even knew of his book’s inclusion, it was unfortunately placed next to paperwork from U.S. v. Williams, the 2008 Supreme Court decision concluding that child pornography is illegal and not protected under freedom of speech. 

Ursuța's work doesn’t bring quite as many complex strings attached to it, though both artists are interested in the examination of the body. Much of Ursuța's work centers around the subversion of history with her anachronistically headless busts and the abstractions of misogynistic beauty standards.

Even though neither artist has previously been involved with a major motion picture, it’s not the first time Guadagnino has brought artists into his projects. Contemporary painter and printmaker Elizabeth Payton was commissioned to make the poster for Bones and All, while allusions to Gina Pane and Ana Mendieta appeared in the 2018 remake of Suspiria.