Felix Salmon sees stirrings for a “more supportive and democratic art world, taken seriously by respected gatekeepers, which increasingly views the twice-yearly shenanigans at Sotheby’s and Christie’s as an obscene sideshow rather than as a true gauge of value.”

Inspired by the art of Alfredo Jaar and Yoko Ono, British war artist Derek Eland worked with troops and civilians in Afghanistan to create “Diary Rooms,” spaces covered with text-covered postcards about their sometimes mundane, often stunning experiences with war.

Artist Dinos Chapman likens the sound of his first electronic music album to “a naked mole-rat plucked untimely from its snuggly basement-burrow, on its back, all squirmy, exposed to the sun’s dissecting rays.” Luftbobler will be released Feb. 25, 2013.

In a new Park Pictures short, Ed Ruscha discusses his move to LA, his collection of tags for “trees that didn’t make it,” his dog Woody, and his love of words. “I look upon them as though they’re flowers,” he said. “I’m guilty of linguistic kleptomania.”

Andy Sturdevant explores indie art shop signage: “These handmade signs tell you a great deal about the place you find them, and about the people that made them. They value spontaneity, humor and independence over order, stodginess and faceless efficiency.”

Visitors to the UK’s Farnborough Airport can now add contemporary art to their duty-free shopping. Organized by Artliner, the show is “tendered to the lifestyle of the clientele.” Art by Damien Hirst and others will be on sale until December.

Drone warfare has become a source of scrutiny for artists including Trevor Paglen, Omer Fast, and James Bridle. Documenting drones-eye-views and locations of strikes, these works “make the reality of the daily occurrence of deadly drone strikes more tangible.”

After Sandy, “the art community did more than embrace its own,” writes Robin Cembalest. “[I]ts members set out to marginalized neighborhoods, helping with the recovery effort and going door-to-door inside powerless housing projects with food and supplies.”

For the first time, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage is exploring contemporary art following an initiative to explore work from the 20th century and beyond. Over the next few months the Hermitage will feature a range of new art including 3-D and conceptual work.