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

Truly, she's a whiz with a silicone gun, creating fascinating sculptures from this unlikely medium. However longer you observe her creations, the stronger you realise that an element seems somewhat off.

The dense strands from the foam she crafts stretch past their supports supporting them, drooping off the edges to the ground. The gnarled silicone strands expand till they rupture. A few artworks escape their acrylic glass box homes fully, turning into a magnet for grime and particles. Let's just say the feedback are unlikely to earn positive.

At times I get this sense that things seem animated in a room,” states the sculptor. “That’s why I started using silicone sealant due to its such an organic texture and feeling.”

Certainly there is an element somewhat grotesque in the artist's creations, starting with the suggestive swelling that protrudes, similar to a rupture, from the support within the showspace, or the gut-like spirals from the material that burst resembling bodily failures. Along a surface, the artist presents prints depicting the sculptures viewed from different angles: resembling microscopic invaders seen in scientific samples, or formations in a lab setting.

What captivates me that there are things within us occurring which possess independent existence,” Herfeldt explains. “Things which remain unseen or manage.”

Talking of unmanageable factors, the promotional image featured in the exhibition includes a picture of the leaky ceiling within her workspace in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Constructed built in the early 1970s and, she says, faced immediate dislike by local people because a lot of historic structures were removed for its development. By the time run-down upon her – a native of that city but grew up in northern Germany prior to moving to the capital in her youth – began using the space.

The rundown building caused issues for the artist – it was risky to display her art works without concern risk of ruin – however, it was compelling. With no building plans available, no one knew methods to address the problems that arose. After a part of the roof in Herfeldt’s studio got thoroughly soaked it gave way completely, the only solution was to replace the panel with a new one – perpetuating the issue.

At another site, the artist explains the leaking was so bad that a series of collection units were installed above the false roof to divert the water to a different sink.

It dawned on me that the structure resembled an organism, a completely flawed entity,” the artist comments.

The situation evoked memories of Dark Star, John Carpenter’s debut movie from the seventies about an AI-powered spacecraft which becomes autonomous. And as you might notice given the naming – three distinct names – that’s not the only film impacting Herfeldt’s show. The three names point to the female protagonists from a horror classic, the iconic thriller plus the sci-fi hit as listed. The artist references a 1987 essay written by Carol J Clover, which identifies the last women standing an original movie concept – women left alone to overcome.

These figures are somewhat masculine, on the silent side and they endure because she’s quite clever,” says Herfeldt about such characters. They avoid substances or have sex. And it doesn’t matter the viewer’s gender, all empathize with this character.”

She draws a parallel from these protagonists with her creations – things that are just about maintaining position despite the pressures affecting them. Does this mean the art more about societal collapse rather than simply water damage? As with many structures, these materials intended to secure and shield us from damage are gradually failing around us.

“Completely,” says Herfeldt.

Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, Herfeldt used different unconventional substances. Past displays have involved forms resembling tongues crafted from the kind of nylon fabric typical for in insulated clothing or inside a jacket. Once more, there's the impression these strange items could come alive – some are concertinaed resembling moving larvae, some droop heavily on vertical planes or extend through entries collecting debris from touch (The artist invites viewers to touch and dirty her art). As with earlier creations, the textile works also occupy – leaving – inexpensive-seeming display enclosures. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, and really that’s the point.

“They have a specific look that somehow you feel compelled by, while also being quite repulsive,” Herfeldt remarks with a smile. “It tries to be not there, but it’s actually highly noticeable.”

The artist does not create work to make you feel comfortable or visual calm. Instead, her intention is to evoke unease, strange, maybe even amused. However, should you notice water droplets overhead too, remember this was foreshadowed.