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Should you be thinking about restroom upgrades, it's advisable not to choose engaging this German artist to handle it.

Indeed, Herfeldt is highly skilled with a silicone gun, crafting compelling artworks with a surprising medium. But the more look at these pieces, the clearer it becomes apparent that an element feels slightly strange.

Those hefty strands of sealant she crafts reach past their supports where they rest, drooping downwards to the ground. Those twisted silicone strands bulge until they split. Some creations break free from their acrylic glass box homes entirely, evolving into a magnet for grime and particles. Let's just say the feedback would not be favorable.

At times I get an impression that objects are alive within a space,” remarks the German artist. This is why I turned to this foam material due to its such an organic sensation and look.”

Certainly one can detect rather body horror regarding these sculptures, from the suggestive swelling which extends, similar to a rupture, from the support at the exhibition's heart, or the gut-like spirals from the material that rupture like medical emergencies. Displayed nearby, the artist presents prints of the works captured in multiple views: resembling squirming organisms picked up on a microscope, or formations in a lab setting.

What captivates me is how certain elements within us occurring which possess a life of their own,” Herfeldt explains. Elements which remain unseen or manage.”

On the subject of elements beyond her influence, the exhibition advertisement promoting the event includes an image showing a dripping roof in her own studio in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Constructed erected decades ago as she explains, was instantly hated among the community because a lot of historic structures were removed in order to make way for it. It was already in a state of disrepair when Herfeldt – a native of that city although she spent her youth near Hamburg then relocating to Berlin in her youth – moved in.

This deteriorating space proved challenging for the artist – she couldn’t hang her art works without fearing potential harm – but it was also compelling. Lacking architectural drawings on hand, no one knew how to repair the malfunctions that developed. After a part of the roof within her workspace was saturated enough it fell apart fully, the sole fix was to replace the damaged part – thus repeating the process.

At another site, the artist explains the leaking was so bad that several collection units were installed in the suspended ceiling to divert the moisture elsewhere.

It dawned on me that the building acted as a physical form, an entirely malfunctioning system,” Herfeldt states.

The situation reminded her of the sci-fi movie, the initial work 1974 film concerning a conscious ship which becomes autonomous. Additionally, observers may note given the naming – a trio of references – more movies have inspired impacting the artist's presentation. The three names indicate the female protagonists in Friday 13th, another scary movie plus the sci-fi hit in that order. She mentions a 1987 essay from a scholar, that describes these surviving characters an original movie concept – women left alone to overcome.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, reserved in nature enabling their survival due to intelligence,” says Herfeldt regarding this trope. “They don’t take drugs or have sex. It is irrelevant the viewer’s gender, all empathize with the survivor.”

She draws a similarity from these protagonists with her creations – objects which only holding in place under strain affecting them. So is her work focused on cultural decay than just dripping roofs? Because like so many institutions, such components intended to secure and shield against harm in fact are decaying around us.

“Oh, totally,” she confirms.

Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, the artist worked with different unconventional substances. Previous exhibitions have involved forms resembling tongues made from fabric similar to you might see in insulated clothing or in coats. Again there is the impression these peculiar objects seem lifelike – some are concertinaed resembling moving larvae, others lollop down from walls blocking passages gathering grime from contact (Herfeldt encourages viewers to touch leaving marks on pieces). Like the silicone sculptures, the textile works are also housed in – and breaking out of – budget-style display enclosures. They’re ugly looking things, and that's the essence.

“These works possess a certain aesthetic that draws viewers very attracted to, while also being quite repulsive,” the artist comments with a smile. “It attempts to seem not there, however, it is highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making art to provide comfortable or beauty. Rather, she aims for uncomfortable, strange, or even humor. But if you start to feel a moist sensation on your head as well, consider yourself the alert was given.