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Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, it's advisable to steer clear of employing the sculptor for such tasks.

Indeed, Herfeldt is highly skilled with a silicone gun, producing compelling sculptures from this unlikely art material. However the more examine these pieces, the clearer you realise that something feels slightly unnerving.

The thick tubes from the foam she crafts extend past the shelves on which they sit, sagging over the sides to the ground. Those twisted foam pipes expand before bursting open. Some creations break free from their acrylic glass box homes fully, evolving into a collector of debris and fibers. It's safe to say the reviews would not be favorable.

At times I get the feeling that things possess life within a space,” says the sculptor. Hence I turned to this foam material as it offers a distinctly physical feel and appearance.”

In fact there’s something somewhat grotesque about Herfeldt’s work, starting with the phallic bulge that protrudes, similar to a rupture, from the support at the exhibition's heart, or the gut-like spirals of foam that rupture like medical emergencies. Along a surface, the artist presents prints showing the pieces seen from various perspectives: appearing as microscopic invaders observed under magnification, or formations on a petri-dish.

I am fascinated by that there are things within us occurring which possess their own life,” the artist notes. “Things you can’t see or command.”

On the subject of things she can’t control, the exhibition advertisement for the show displays an image of water damage overhead within her workspace located in Berlin. The building had been made in the seventies and, she says, faced immediate dislike by local people as numerous older edifices got demolished for its development. By the time in a state of disrepair when Herfeldt – who was born in Munich yet raised in northern Germany prior to moving to the capital as a teenager – took up residence.

This deteriorating space proved challenging for her work – placing artworks was difficult her art works without fearing potential harm – however, it was compelling. Without any blueprints accessible, nobody had a clue the way to fix the problems that arose. When the ceiling panel within her workspace was saturated enough it fell apart fully, the only solution meant swapping it with another – and so the cycle continued.

In a different area, she describes the leaking was so bad so multiple collection units were set up in the suspended ceiling in order to redirect the moisture elsewhere.

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

The situation evoked memories of Dark Star, the director's first 1974 film concerning a conscious ship which becomes autonomous. As the exhibition's title suggests from the show’s title – Alice, Laurie & Ripley – more movies have inspired impacting the artist's presentation. Those labels point to the leading women from a horror classic, Halloween and Alien respectively. She mentions a 1987 essay written by Carol J Clover, which identifies the last women standing as a unique film trope – protagonists by themselves to triumph.

These figures are somewhat masculine, reserved in nature and she can survive due to intelligence,” the artist explains regarding this trope. They avoid substances or engage intimately. And it doesn’t matter the viewer’s gender, all empathize with the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a similarity from these protagonists with her creations – things that are just about staying put amidst stress affecting them. Is the exhibition focused on societal collapse beyond merely dripping roofs? As with many structures, such components intended to secure and shield against harm are gradually failing in our environment.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Before finding inspiration in the silicone gun, the artist worked with different unconventional substances. Previous exhibitions included organic-looking pieces using the kind of nylon fabric typical for on a sleeping bag or inside a jacket. Again there is the impression these strange items could come alive – some are concertinaed as insects in motion, pieces hang loosely off surfaces or spill across doorways collecting debris from touch (Herfeldt encourages viewers to touch leaving marks on pieces). Similar to the foam artworks, these nylon creations are also housed in – and escaping from – inexpensive-seeming display enclosures. These are unattractive objects, and that's the essence.

“The sculptures exhibit a particular style that draws viewers very attracted to, and at the same time being quite repulsive,” Herfeldt remarks amusedly. “It tries to be not there, but it’s actually highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making work to make you feel ease or beauty. Conversely, her intention is to evoke unease, odd, maybe even amused. However, should you notice water droplets overhead additionally, remember the alert was given.