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Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, it's advisable to steer clear of employing the sculptor to handle it.

Indeed, Herfeldt is a whiz in handling foam materials, crafting fascinating artworks out of an unusual art material. Yet longer you look at her creations, the more one notices that something feels slightly strange.

The dense tubes made of silicone Herfeldt forms stretch past display surfaces where they rest, hanging off the edges towards the floor. The gnarled silicone strands expand until they split. A few artworks escape their transparent enclosures completely, becoming a collector of debris and fibers. It's safe to say the ratings would not be positive.

There are moments I feel the feeling that objects possess life in a room,” states the German artist. “That’s why I came to use this foam material due to its this very bodily sensation and look.”

Certainly there’s something somewhat grotesque in the artist's creations, including that protruding shape that protrudes, similar to a rupture, from the support at the exhibition's heart, and the winding tubes from the material that rupture resembling bodily failures. Displayed nearby, the artist presents photocopies depicting the sculptures captured in multiple views: appearing as microscopic invaders picked up on a microscope, or colonies on culture plates.

What captivates me that there are things in our bodies happening which possess their own life,” Herfeldt explains. “Things which remain unseen or manage.”

Talking of elements beyond her influence, the promotional image featured in the exhibition displays a photograph of the leaky ceiling at her creative space in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It was built in the early 1970s and, she says, faced immediate dislike from residents because a lot of old buildings got demolished to allow its construction. The place was run-down as the artist – a native of that city although she spent her youth in northern Germany before arriving in Berlin as a teenager – moved in.

This decrepit property proved challenging to Herfeldt – she couldn’t hang her art works without concern potential harm – but it was also intriguing. Without any blueprints on hand, no one knew methods to address any of the issues which occurred. When the ceiling panel at the artist's area was saturated enough it collapsed entirely, the only solution was to replace the damaged part – and so the cycle continued.

At another site, she describes the water intrusion was severe that a series of collection units were set up above the false roof in order to redirect the moisture elsewhere.

“I realised that this place acted as a physical form, an entirely malfunctioning system,” she says.

This scenario reminded her of a classic film, John Carpenter’s debut 1974 film about an AI-powered spacecraft that develops independence. Additionally, observers may note through the heading – Alice, Laurie & Ripley – other cinematic works influenced impacting Herfeldt’s show. The three names indicate the leading women from a horror classic, another scary movie plus the sci-fi hit in that order. She mentions an academic paper by the American professor, outlining the last women standing as a unique film trope – protagonists by themselves to triumph.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, rather quiet enabling their survival because she’s quite clever,” the artist explains of the archetypal final girl. No drug use occurs nor sexual activity. Regardless the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a similarity between these characters to her artworks – things that are just about maintaining position amidst stress they face. So is her work more about societal collapse rather than simply dripping roofs? Similar to various systems, substances like silicone meant to insulate and guard us from damage are gradually failing in our environment.

“Completely,” says Herfeldt.

Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, Herfeldt used different unconventional substances. Past displays featured forms resembling tongues made from fabric similar to you might see within outdoor gear or inside a jacket. Again there is the feeling these strange items could come alive – certain pieces are folded like caterpillars mid-crawl, some droop heavily on vertical planes blocking passages collecting debris from touch (The artist invites viewers to touch and dirty her art). As with earlier creations, the textile works are similarly displayed in – and breaking out of – budget-style transparent cases. These are unattractive objects, and really that’s the point.

“The sculptures exhibit a certain aesthetic that somehow you feel highly drawn to, while also they’re very disgusting,” the artist comments with a smile. “The art aims for invisible, but it’s actually highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt's goal isn't art to provide ease or visual calm. Rather, her intention is to evoke unease, strange, or even humor. And if there's water droplets overhead too, remember the alert was given.