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Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, you may want not to choose engaging this German artist for such tasks.

Indeed, Herfeldt is an expert using sealant applicators, producing intriguing sculptures with a surprising substance. But the more look at her creations, the stronger it becomes apparent a certain aspect feels slightly unnerving.

The thick strands made of silicone she produces reach over display surfaces on which they sit, drooping downwards to the ground. Those twisted tubular forms swell before bursting open. A few artworks break free from their acrylic glass box homes entirely, becoming a collector for dust and hair. Let's just say the reviews are unlikely to earn favorable.

At times I get an impression that things possess life in a room,” says Herfeldt. Hence I turned to this foam material because it has this very bodily feel and appearance.”

Indeed one can detect rather body horror in these sculptures, including the phallic bulge that protrudes, hernia-like, off its base at the exhibition's heart, and the winding tubes from the material which split open as if in crisis. On one wall, Herfeldt has framed prints depicting the sculptures captured in multiple views: appearing as squirming organisms picked up on a microscope, or growths on a petri-dish.

I am fascinated by is how certain elements in our bodies happening that also have a life of their own,” the artist notes. Elements you can’t see or control.”

Regarding things she can’t control, the exhibition advertisement for the show features a photograph showing a dripping roof in her own studio in the German capital. It was built in the early 1970s as she explains, faced immediate dislike from residents as numerous older edifices were removed to allow its construction. By the time in a state of disrepair when Herfeldt – a native of that city but grew up north of Hamburg then relocating to Berlin in her youth – took up residence.

The rundown building was frustrating for the artist – placing artworks was difficult her art works anxiously they might be damaged – however, it was intriguing. Without any blueprints available, no one knew the way to fix any of the issues which occurred. When the ceiling panel in Herfeldt’s studio became so sodden it collapsed entirely, the sole fix involved installing it with another – and so the cycle continued.

In a different area, the artist explains the leaking was so bad so multiple drainage containers were installed in the suspended ceiling in order to redirect leaks to another outlet.

It dawned on me that the building resembled an organism, an entirely malfunctioning system,” the artist comments.

These conditions evoked memories of Dark Star, John Carpenter’s debut 1974 film concerning a conscious ship that develops independence. And as you might notice through the heading – a trio of references – that’s not the only film to have influenced Herfeldt’s show. Those labels refer to the female protagonists in the slasher film, another scary movie and Alien in that order. She mentions an academic paper written by Carol J Clover, outlining these “final girls” a distinctive cinematic theme – protagonists by themselves to save the day.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, on the silent side and they endure because she’s quite clever,” says Herfeldt about such characters. No drug use occurs or engage intimately. Regardless the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to the survivor.”

She draws a similarity between these characters with her creations – objects which only maintaining position amidst stress affecting them. Is the exhibition really concerning societal collapse than just leaky ceilings? Because like so many institutions, these materials intended to secure and shield against harm are actually slowly eroding around us.

“Oh, totally,” says Herfeldt.

Prior to discovering her medium using foam materials, she experimented with different unconventional substances. Recent shows included forms resembling tongues using the kind of nylon fabric typical for in insulated clothing or inside a jacket. Again there is the feeling such unusual creations could come alive – a few are compressed like caterpillars mid-crawl, some droop heavily from walls or extend through entries attracting dirt from footprints (Herfeldt encourages viewers to touch leaving marks on pieces). As with earlier creations, these nylon creations are similarly displayed in – and breaking out of – inexpensive-seeming display enclosures. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, which is intentional.

“They have a particular style that draws viewers highly drawn to, and at the same time appearing gross,” Herfeldt remarks with a smile. “It tries to be absent, but it’s actually very present.”

Herfeldt is not making art to provide ease or visual calm. Conversely, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, strange, or even humor. But if you start to feel a moist sensation on your head additionally, remember the alert was given.