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Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, it might be wise not to choose engaging this German artist for the job.

Indeed, Herfeldt is an expert with a silicone gun, crafting intriguing creations out of an unusual medium. But the more look at the artworks, the stronger you realise a certain aspect feels slightly off.

The thick tubes made of silicone Herfeldt forms stretch beyond display surfaces supporting them, hanging over the sides below. Those twisted foam pipes bulge till they rupture. Some creations leave their acrylic glass box homes fully, becoming an attractor for dust and hair. One could imagine the feedback are unlikely to earn favorable.

“I sometimes have an impression that objects possess life within a space,” remarks Herfeldt. “That’s why I came to use this foam material because it has such an organic texture and feeling.”

In fact there is an element rather body horror in these sculptures, starting with the phallic bulge that protrudes, hernia-like, from the support at the exhibition's heart, to the intestinal coils made of silicone that burst as if in crisis. Along a surface, the artist presents images showing the pieces captured in multiple views: they look like microscopic invaders picked up on a microscope, or formations in a lab setting.

“It interests me is the idea inside human forms occurring that seem to hold a life of their own,” Herfeldt explains. “Things you can’t see or command.”

Talking of unmanageable factors, the exhibition advertisement featured in the exhibition includes an image of water damage overhead within her workspace located in Berlin. It was erected decades ago and according to her, was instantly hated among the community as numerous older edifices were removed in order to make way for it. It was already in a state of disrepair as the artist – originally from Munich but grew up north of Hamburg before arriving in Berlin as a teenager – began using the space.

This decrepit property was frustrating for her work – placing artworks was difficult the sculptures without fearing potential harm – but it was also intriguing. Lacking architectural drawings on hand, no one knew the way to fix any of the issues which occurred. When the ceiling panel in Herfeldt’s studio was saturated enough it fell apart fully, the only solution meant swapping it with another – and so the cycle continued.

In a different area, Herfeldt says the leaking was so bad that a series of drainage containers were installed within the drop ceiling in order to redirect the moisture elsewhere.

I understood that the structure resembled an organism, a completely flawed entity,” Herfeldt states.

This scenario evoked memories of Dark Star, John Carpenter’s debut movie from the seventies about an AI-powered spacecraft that takes on a life of its own. As the exhibition's title suggests from the show’s title – three distinct names – more movies have inspired shaping Herfeldt’s show. These titles point to main characters from a horror classic, Halloween and the extraterrestrial saga as listed. The artist references a 1987 essay by the American professor, outlining these surviving characters an original movie concept – protagonists by themselves to overcome.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, rather quiet enabling their survival because she’s quite clever,” she elaborates of the archetypal final girl. “They don’t take drugs or have sex. It is irrelevant the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a connection from these protagonists with her creations – things that are just about staying put under strain they face. Is the exhibition really concerning societal collapse beyond merely leaky ceilings? Similar to various systems, such components intended to secure and shield from deterioration are actually slowly eroding in our environment.

“Completely,” responds the artist.

Prior to discovering her medium using foam materials, the artist worked with other unusual materials. Previous exhibitions included forms resembling tongues made from a synthetic material typical for within outdoor gear or inside a jacket. Once more, there's the impression such unusual creations seem lifelike – some are concertinaed as insects in motion, pieces hang loosely off surfaces blocking passages attracting dirt from footprints (Herfeldt encourages audiences to interact and soil the works). Similar to the foam artworks, these nylon creations also occupy – and escaping from – budget-style display enclosures. These are unattractive objects, and really that’s the point.

“The sculptures exhibit a certain aesthetic which makes one highly drawn to, while also appearing gross,” she says with a smile. “It attempts to seem absent, however, it is very present.”

The artist does not create art to provide ease or beauty. Rather, she aims for discomfort, strange, or even humor. And if there's something wet dripping overhead additionally, don’t say the alert was given.