Abstract
Despite a short life notable for its intense artistic activities, little has
been written about Fedele Azari. Indeed, the most recent – and the only indepth
study – dates back to 1992: a catalogue edited by Lucia Collarile and published
by the Caproni Aeronautical Museum in Trento. Fedele Azari was a rather
reserved figure amongst a circle of egocentric artists that formed the Futurist
movement, but in the background he made a crucial contribution to its evolution
in the 1920s. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti himself entrusted him with the rôle of
First General Secretary of the Futurist movement and commissioned him to organize
and curate important events and exhibitions. Beyond this activity, Azari was a
keen collector, agent and art dealer, who promoted the work and memory of Umberto
Boccioni and fostered the development of Fortunato Depero’s career. This
essay presents Fedele Azari as a businessman and analyses his multi-faceted yet
poorly documented artistic activity.