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Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, you may want to steer clear of employing Lisa Herfeldt for the job.

Truly, she's highly skilled in handling foam materials, crafting compelling sculptures with a surprising medium. But the more observe the artworks, the stronger one notices a certain aspect is a little strange.

The dense lengths of sealant she crafts extend beyond display surfaces supporting them, sagging downwards below. The knotty foam pipes bulge until they split. Certain pieces leave the display cases entirely, becoming a magnet for dust and hair. Let's just say the reviews would not be favorable.

At times I get the feeling that items are alive within a space,” states the German artist. This is why I started using silicone sealant because it has such an organic texture and feeling.”

Indeed one can detect rather body horror in Herfeldt’s work, including the phallic bulge which extends, like a medical condition, off its base in the centre of the gallery, to the intestinal coils from the material that burst like medical emergencies. On one wall, are mounted photocopies showing the pieces viewed from different angles: resembling squirming organisms seen in scientific samples, or growths in a lab setting.

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

Talking of things she can’t control, the promotional image featured in the exhibition includes an image of the leaky ceiling in her own studio in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Constructed made in the seventies and according to her, faced immediate dislike by local people since many older edifices got demolished in order to make way for it. It was already run-down when Herfeldt – originally from Munich but grew up in northern Germany before arriving in Berlin as a teenager – began using the space.

The rundown building caused issues to Herfeldt – she couldn’t hang her art works without concern potential harm – yet it also proved intriguing. Without any blueprints on hand, nobody had a clue methods to address any of the issues which occurred. Once an overhead section in Herfeldt’s studio got thoroughly soaked it collapsed entirely, the only solution was to replace the panel with a new one – and so the cycle continued.

In a different area, Herfeldt says the leaking was so bad that several collection units got placed above the false roof to divert leaks to another outlet.

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

This scenario evoked memories of the sci-fi movie, the director's first 1974 film featuring a smart spaceship that takes on a life of its own. Additionally, observers may note through the heading – a trio of references – other cinematic works influenced impacting Herfeldt’s show. The three names refer to main characters in the slasher film, the iconic thriller and the extraterrestrial saga as listed. She mentions an academic paper written by Carol J Clover, outlining the last women standing a distinctive cinematic theme – women left alone to overcome.

These figures are somewhat masculine, on the silent side enabling their survival thanks to resourcefulness,” the artist explains regarding this trope. They avoid substances nor sexual activity. It is irrelevant the audience's identity, all empathize with the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a parallel linking these figures with her creations – objects which only staying put under strain affecting them. So is her work focused on cultural decay than just leaky ceilings? Because like so many institutions, these materials meant to insulate and guard from deterioration are actually slowly eroding in our environment.

“Completely,” responds the artist.

Before finding inspiration with sealant applicators, the artist worked with alternative odd mediums. Past displays have involved organic-looking pieces crafted from fabric similar to you might see in insulated clothing or inside a jacket. Similarly, one finds the feeling these peculiar objects seem lifelike – some are concertinaed resembling moving larvae, pieces hang loosely off surfaces blocking passages attracting dirt from footprints (The artist invites audiences to interact and dirty her art). As with earlier creations, the textile works are also housed in – and escaping from – inexpensive-seeming transparent cases. These are unattractive objects, which is intentional.

“The sculptures exhibit a particular style that somehow you feel compelled by, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” she says amusedly. “The art aims for absent, yet in reality highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making pieces that offer comfortable or beauty. Conversely, her intention is to evoke unease, odd, maybe even amused. And if there's something wet dripping from above as well, remember you haven’t been warned.