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When considering bathroom renovations, it might be wise to steer clear of engaging this German artist for such tasks.

Certainly, Herfeldt is a whiz with a silicone gun, creating intriguing creations out of an unusual medium. Yet as you observe the artworks, the more one notices that something is a little off.

The dense strands made of silicone she produces stretch beyond their supports where they rest, drooping downwards to the ground. The knotty tubular forms expand until they split. A few artworks leave the display cases entirely, evolving into an attractor for grime and particles. It's safe to say the reviews might not get positive.

At times I get the feeling that things possess life within a space,” remarks the sculptor. Hence I came to use this substance as it offers this very bodily texture and feeling.”

Indeed there’s something somewhat grotesque about Herfeldt’s work, from the suggestive swelling jutting out, similar to a rupture, off its base within the showspace, or the gut-like spirals made of silicone that rupture like medical emergencies. On one wall, Herfeldt has framed photocopies depicting the sculptures viewed from different angles: resembling microscopic invaders observed under magnification, or growths on a petri-dish.

I am fascinated by that there are things within us happening that also have independent existence,” Herfeldt explains. Phenomena that are invisible or command.”

Regarding elements beyond her influence, the promotional image promoting the event displays an image of water damage overhead at her creative space in the German capital. Constructed erected decades ago as she explains, faced immediate dislike among the community since many historic structures got demolished for its development. It was already dilapidated upon her – a native of that city although she spent her youth near Hamburg then relocating to Berlin in her youth – moved in.

The rundown building proved challenging to Herfeldt – she couldn’t hang her art works without fearing risk of ruin – yet it also proved fascinating. Lacking architectural drawings on hand, nobody had a clue how to repair the problems that arose. After a part of the roof at the artist's area became so sodden it collapsed entirely, the single remedy meant swapping the damaged part – and so the cycle continued.

At another site, Herfeldt says dripping was extreme that several shower basins got placed in the suspended ceiling to divert the water to a different sink.

I understood that the building acted as a physical form, an entirely malfunctioning system,” the artist comments.

These conditions evoked memories of a classic film, the initial work cinematic piece concerning a conscious ship that takes on a life of its own. And as you might notice given the naming – a trio of references – that’s not the only film to have influenced Herfeldt’s show. Those labels point to the leading women in Friday 13th, Halloween and Alien as listed. Herfeldt cites a critical analysis from a scholar, which identifies these “final girls” as a unique film trope – protagonists by themselves to triumph.

They often display toughness, reserved in nature and she can survive thanks to resourcefulness,” she elaborates regarding this trope. No drug use occurs or engage intimately. Regardless the audience's identity, we can all identify with the final girl.”

She draws a similarity linking these figures to her artworks – objects which only staying put amidst stress affecting them. Does this mean the art focused on cultural decay beyond merely dripping roofs? Because like so many institutions, such components meant to insulate and guard from deterioration in fact are decaying around us.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, the artist worked with different unconventional substances. Recent shows featured organic-looking pieces made from a synthetic material found in within outdoor gear or apparel lining. Once more, there's the sense these strange items might animate – certain pieces are folded like caterpillars mid-crawl, others lollop down off surfaces or extend through entries gathering grime from contact (Herfeldt encourages people to handle and soil the works). As with earlier creations, those fabric pieces are similarly displayed in – and escaping from – budget-style display enclosures. These are unattractive objects, which is intentional.

“They have a specific look which makes one very attracted to, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” Herfeldt remarks with a smile. “The art aims for absent, however, it is extremely obvious.”

Herfeldt's goal isn't art to provide comfortable or aesthetically soothed. Instead, her intention is to evoke discomfort, odd, perhaps entertained. However, should you notice something wet dripping overhead too, don’t say you haven’t been warned.