Visionaire is always up for a surprise. We have seen lots of interesting things from them, including custom Louis Vuitton magazine sleeves, scented magazines and more. With their 61st issue they present the world’s largest magazine, even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records – Larger Than Life.

The issue boasts Lady Gaga on the cover as a goth mermaid. The magazine is 36 by 49.48 inches (limited to 2500 copies) and since they wanted to top their own world record, they are also offering a deluxe edition, measuring 57.48 by 79 inches, limited to only 250 copies. Priced at 375 USD and 1500 USD, both are now available from theVisionaire online store.

Check out a video of the issue below:

Riccardo Tisci’s forthcoming issue Visionaire magazine (#60, done in collaboration with Givenchy) explores “religion as liberating force, complete with its share of saints, sinners, and supermodels.”

However vaguely Tisci sees his own faith, his Visionaire is Catholic with a capital C, featuring eye-popping imagery that turns a millennium of European art on its head. Housed in an unfolding wooden case that nods to the great tradition of the altarpiece, the issue doesn’t scrimp on saints, including Carine Roitfeld, appropriately venerated in a series of haunting portraits by Karl Lagerfeld. (“Religion is anything you believe in,” the Chanel designer offers.)

The rest of the issue is an exuberant visual tribute to religious tropes. The Madonna and Child are revisited by Mario Sorrenti, and while she’s not exactly Rubenesque, there’s a certain minimalist serenity about her that beguiles. Paolo Canevari and Francesco Carrozzini canonize Franca Sozzani, complete with a Giotto-like halo, while Tisci’s house model, Lea T, is reimagined by Giovanna Battaglia and Pierpaolo Ferrari as a beautiful veiled martyr in Renaissance-style couture. The Son then comes into his own as Danko and Ana Steiner and Jared Buckheister rework the crucifixion, mounting Jesus on—or is it at—a lectern. Some of the pictures are slightly less tranquil. The shoot by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott of Lara Stone bound in ropes beside a burning cross conjures both Saint Joan and Mississippi Burning. But perhaps the most indelible image is that of Tisci suckling at the breast of Marina Abramovic, a woman who knows a thing or two about suffering for belief.

The above photo sees Carine Roitfeld photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. Visionaire 60 RELIGION is out June 2011. You can pre-order here.

See the full photo of Carine Roitfeld shot by Karl Lagerfeld after the click.

In time for Christmas, Visionaire presents their 59th issue, entitled Fairytaile. This issue is a mini-library of children’s books by contemporary artists and photographers. Packaged in an old-fashioned style book strap, contributors include John Baldessari, Viktor & Rolf, Jo Ratcliffe, Pierre Huyghe, Richard Phillips and many others. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity. You can purchase the new issue directly from Visionaire now.

Take a look at the various books included in the issue after the jump.

The latest installment of Visionaire has been announced. SL has the scoop. “Visionaire 59 FAIRTYTALE is a mini-library of children’s books by contemporary artists and photographers. Ranging in themes from the delightful to the philosophical, and packaged in an old-fashion-style bookstrap, Visionaire’s newest issue offers a meditation on innocence and childlike creativity… Each book is individually-bound and hard-cover containing between 16 and 56 pages of artworks and text. Each book features a special technique: glow-in-the-dark, scratch-n-sniff, lenticular, holography, flocking, and foil-stamping.”

A while back we showed you the teaser video of the upcoming Visionaire 58 Alexander McQueen issue. Today we get a first look at the actual issue, which comes in white/gold with lots of nice details. The issue will release soon at colette and other premium retailers around the globe.

Avant-garde meets avant-garde. The New York-based limited edition fashion and art publication Visionaire draws inspiration for its 57th issue from the unique two-seater smart fortwo. “Visionaire 2010″ is the first plug-in electric issue of the publication. 52 internationally renowned curators and art collectors were recruited to select 365 works of art, making this issue, in the form of an electronic daily calendar, a ground-breaking compendium of contemporary art. The cooperation with Visionaire was motivated by the launch of the second generation of the smart fortwo electric drive.

The 52 guest curators for Visionaire “2010” include artists like John Baldessari, internationally renowned museum curators like Klaus Biesenbach (MoMA) or Christine Marcel (Centre George Pompidou), contemporary art collectors like Pharrell Williams, Mario Testino or the architect Zaha Hadid as well as actors Natalie Portman and Tilda Swinton. Fashion designers Raf Simons and Marc Jacobs and Dr. Renate Wiehager, head of the Daimler art collection, are also participating.

Each curator selected seven artists. Artists include Adel Abdessemed, Agathe Snow, Bruce Nauman, Cao Fei, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Gabriel Orozco, Gelitin, Guyton\Walker, Kalup Linzy, Kaws, Maurizio Cattelan, Nathalie Djurberg, Olafur Eliasson, Paul Chan, and Steve McQueen to name a few. In this way the Visionaire issue “2010″ forms a compendium of contemporary art.

The issue “2010″, which is published worldwide, is a communications bridge between the smart electric drive and the first electric issue of Visionaire. At the same time it combines the design expertise of both brands. Following the tradition of the multi-format publication, the innovative calendar will be produced in a limited edition of 4000 copies and will be released in October.

More views of the upcoming Visionaire 2010 issue follow after the jump.

In collaboration with Calvin Klein Collection, Visionaire is about to release their latest issue – Visionaire 56 Solar. Once again Visionaire impresses with an innovative take on publishing.

This special solar powered issue of Visionaire Magazine uses innovative printing technology that instantly transforms black and white artworks to vibrant colors when exposed to direct sunlight. Contributing artists include Yoko Ono, Richard Phillips, M/M (Paris), Udo Ronginone, Alex Katz, David Sims, Ryan McGinley, Richard Burbridge and more.

Above and after the jump we show you some of the works and you see a clear difference between the actual artwork and the work when exposed to sunlight. The effect is truly amazing and the idea and vision by Visionaire once again exceptional.

Visionaire 56 Solar can now be pre-ordered on the Visionaire homepage.

Make sure to check out more artworks from the issue after the jump.

Isetan, the Japanese department store, opened today the Art Convenience Store, a new temporary section, that presents a special line-up of products by companies such as Visionaire, Nike, Ksubi, Undercover, Visvim and many others. The idea is to present a range of products that are made in collaboration with artists.
Interesting products that you will find in the Isetan Art Convenience Store are a Visionaire x Goyard trunk, that features 50 issues and they are msde to order. Also they will be carrying a special UGG boot collection, with several boots designed by Japanese artists and brands, the Visvim x Mastermind FBT Shaman, special Undercover product, a Hello Kitty Kubrick and more.
We give you a look at some of the releases after the jump.

"Visionaire presents issue 54 SPORT, our first wearable publication. Using the most advanced printing technologies, Visionaire produces full-coverage, full-color, photographically-printed Lacoste polo shirts featuring artwork by photographers Nick Knight, Peter Lindbergh, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin with M/M (Paris), Phil Poynter; artists Thomas Demand, Thomas Ruff, T.J. Wilcox; designer Karl Lagerfeld; filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar; musicians David Byrne, Michael Stipe; and painter Richard Phillips. This issue is a collaboration with Lacoste, currently celebrating its 75th anniversary. SPORT is produced as four different sets, each containing three printed Lacoste polo shirts embedded within its pages: one large, one medium, and one small, as well as a book featuring all twelve images."
Note that subscribers receive only one of the set but have the opportunity to buy them all. Via Selectism.
See all the polos after the jump.