Vlassis Frissiras is an attorney by trade, but his real passion is art, as his art collecting activities attest. Not only is Mr Frissiras one of the world’s top art collectors, with a collection numbering more than 3500 works, he is also the founder of the Frissiras Museum in Athens. As the name suggests the museum houses his own private collection, but also presents exhibitions by emerging and established Greek and international artists. Established in 2000, the Frissiras Museum was created “to preserve and protect the past, to showcase the present, and to produce cultural work for the future.”Mr Frissiras started collection the work of young visual artists in 1978 with the aim of putting together what he describes as “a collection made up exclusively of paintings centered on two axes: the human form and body, and representation, i.e. the figurative art that reinstates a method of painting which has been more or less marginalized by newer forms of art.” In the 1990s his interest turned to European artists, leading to the incredible collection that he has today, which is still dominated by Greek artists but also includes some of the greatest contemporary Euopean artists.Some of the artists in the Frissiras collection include: David Hockney, Nikos Baikas, Sam Szafran, Yannis Psichopedis, Dado, Costas Tsoclis, Frank Auerbach, Yorghos Rorris, Edouardo Arroyo, Thanassis Makris, Antonio Segui, Eleni Moraiti, Gilles Marrey, Dimitris Ratsikas, Christopher LeBrun, Chronis Botsoglou, Paola Rego, Achileas Papacostas, Simon Pasieka, Yorghos Lappas, Peter Blake, Tassos Missouras, Leonardo Cremonini, Tassos Chirstakis, Stephen Conroy, Michalis Manoussakis, Clive Smith, Edouard Sacaillan, and Andrea Martinelli, to name but a few.“I have always believed that an Art which does not trigger the emotions is no Art,” Mr Frissiras has said. “Over a course of forty years, I have put together a collection of paintings with an ideology, coherence and a specific aim. Yet, going into this process requires a little ‘perversion’ or transcendence; one has to move unconsciously away from reason. “Along this course of the absurd, a Museum may well emerge… Yes, it was thus simply that the Frissiras Museum was created in Athens, through my own reserve of inner power and boldness.”BLOUIN ARTINFO recently got in touch with Mr Frissiras and asked him to tell us his favorite places to visit, eat, stay, and shop in his home city of Athens.What are your recommendations for must-visit places in Athens and why?The Acropolis, The Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Frissiras Musseum, and the historic neighbourhood of Plaka, which is a great place for a walk.What restaurants, bars, and cafes would you recommend in Athens and why?Athens has 2 faces. There’s the one by the beach, where one can head to the beachfront to have fun in restaurants and bars, and then there’s one centred around the Acropolis.Attikos Greek House restaurant (http://www.ghattikos.gr/) is one of the best places in Athens to eat – it’s a place where you can enjoy your dinner under the magnificent view of the Acropolis.As for bars, there are countless bars in the streets and neighborhood of Plaka, either for a simple, quick drink, or even for exquisite cocktails.Where would you go and what would you do if you had a free morning or afternoon in Athens?Visit the National Archaeological Museum of Athens on Patission Street.Where would you head to in Athens for the best shopping and what would you buy?Attica shopping mall in the heart of Athens (http://www.atticadps.gr/en/about-attica/the-store/). What I would buy depends on the season and my needs.Where would you recommend people stay (hotels etc.) when they visit Athens?Hotel Grande Bretagne, the King George, and the Hilton Athens. Also, the Electra Palace Athens in Plaka.What are the best places to see and buy art in Athens?You can buy art from the many private art galleries in the center of Athens, mainly based at Kolonaki area. One of the top galleries is also Thanassis Frissiras gallery (frissirasgallery.com), which has European artists as well, not only Greek.What are the best places to see live entertainment – music, theatre, etc. in Athens and why?If you are visiting during the summer months and you are lucky and there is a concert, you should not miss the opportunity to go to a concert at the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus theatre. It’s an awe inspiring experience. Another place is the Greek National Opera, housed in the newly-built Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center. Then there’s the Athens Concert Hall – Megaron Mousikis Athinon.What are some of Athens’s best secret places that everyone should discover?Various small venues around the city with Rebetiko music, as well as small restaurants with unplugged Greek music.What projects are you currently working on/involved in?We are finalizing the exhibition of the 3rd edition of the Frissiras museum Award for European painting, which was established 2003. For this year’s award there have been more than 200 entries, with the exhibition to feature works by the 20 shortlisted artists. The winner will be selected by the museum’s committee. The exhibition will be open to the public in Fall 2017. Read more