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When considering bathroom renovations, it's advisable to steer clear of engaging the sculptor to handle it.

Truly, Herfeldt is highly skilled with a silicone gun, crafting compelling artworks from this unlikely substance. Yet the more examine these pieces, the more it becomes apparent a certain aspect seems somewhat strange.

Those hefty tubes made of silicone Herfeldt forms reach beyond their supports supporting them, drooping downwards to the ground. The gnarled tubular forms expand till they rupture. A few artworks break free from their transparent enclosures fully, becoming an attractor for grime and particles. It's safe to say the feedback are unlikely to earn pretty.

There are moments I feel this sense that items possess life in a room,” says the sculptor. Hence I started using this substance because it has a distinctly physical sensation and look.”

Certainly there is an element somewhat grotesque about these sculptures, starting with the phallic bulge that protrudes, hernia-like, from the support in the centre of the gallery, and the winding tubes of foam that rupture resembling bodily failures. Displayed nearby, the artist presents images depicting the sculptures seen from various perspectives: they look like squirming organisms observed under magnification, or formations on culture plates.

What captivates me is how certain elements within us occurring that also have a life of their own,” the artist notes. Phenomena which remain unseen or command.”

Talking of things she can’t control, the exhibition advertisement featured in the exhibition features an image of the leaky ceiling at her creative space in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It was built in the early 1970s and, she says, was instantly hated by local people as numerous older edifices were removed to allow its construction. By the time in a state of disrepair as the artist – who was born in Munich yet raised in northern Germany before arriving in Berlin in her youth – moved in.

This decrepit property was frustrating for her work – she couldn’t hang the sculptures without fearing they might be damaged – however, it was compelling. Lacking architectural drawings accessible, nobody had a clue the way to fix the problems that arose. After a part of the roof at the artist's area got thoroughly soaked it collapsed entirely, the single remedy involved installing it with another – thus repeating the process.

Elsewhere on the property, the artist explains the leaking was so bad that several shower basins were installed within the drop ceiling to divert the moisture elsewhere.

I understood that this place resembled an organism, a completely flawed entity,” the artist comments.

This scenario evoked memories of Dark Star, the director's first 1974 film featuring a smart spaceship that takes on a life of its own. Additionally, observers may note from the show’s title – three distinct names – other cinematic works influenced impacting this exhibition. The three names indicate the female protagonists in Friday 13th, the iconic thriller and the extraterrestrial saga in that order. The artist references an academic paper by the American professor, which identifies these “final girls” a distinctive cinematic theme – protagonists by themselves to overcome.

They often display toughness, reserved in nature and she can survive due to intelligence,” the artist explains about such characters. “They don’t take drugs or engage intimately. It is irrelevant the viewer’s gender, we can all identify with the final girl.”

Herfeldt sees a similarity linking these figures with her creations – elements that barely staying put despite the pressures affecting them. So is her work really concerning societal collapse rather than simply water damage? Because like so many institutions, such components meant to insulate and guard against harm are actually slowly eroding around us.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Before finding inspiration in the silicone gun, the artist worked with different unconventional substances. Past displays featured organic-looking pieces crafted from fabric similar to you might see in insulated clothing or apparel lining. Similarly, one finds the feeling these peculiar objects seem lifelike – some are concertinaed like caterpillars mid-crawl, some droop heavily from walls or extend through entries attracting dirt from footprints (The artist invites people to handle and soil the works). Similar to the foam artworks, these nylon creations are similarly displayed in – and breaking out of – budget-style transparent cases. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, which is intentional.

“The sculptures exhibit a particular style which makes one very attracted to, while also appearing gross,” Herfeldt remarks grinning. “The art aims for not there, but it’s actually extremely obvious.”

The artist does not create pieces that offer relaxation or beauty. Conversely, she aims for uncomfortable, awkward, or even humor. However, should you notice something wet dripping on your head too, don’t say you haven’t been warned.