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When considering restroom upgrades, it's advisable to steer clear of employing this German artist for the job.

Truly, she's an expert in handling foam materials, producing fascinating sculptures out of an unusual substance. But the more look at these pieces, the more you realise that something feels slightly off.

The thick strands of sealant she crafts extend over display surfaces on which they sit, hanging downwards below. Those twisted foam pipes expand until they split. Certain pieces break free from the display cases completely, turning into an attractor for grime and particles. It's safe to say the reviews might not get favorable.

At times I get an impression that items are alive inside an area,” says the German artist. “That’s why I turned to this foam material as it offers a distinctly physical feel and appearance.”

Certainly one can detect somewhat grotesque in the artist's creations, including the suggestive swelling which extends, hernia-like, off its base in the centre of the gallery, and the winding tubes made of silicone that burst resembling bodily failures. Displayed nearby, Herfeldt has framed images depicting the sculptures seen from various perspectives: resembling microscopic invaders seen in scientific samples, or colonies on culture plates.

What captivates me is how certain elements inside human forms happening that seem to hold a life of their own,” the artist notes. Elements which remain unseen or command.”

Regarding unmanageable factors, the promotional image featured in the exhibition includes an image of water damage overhead in her own studio in the German capital. The building had been made in the seventies as she explains, faced immediate dislike by local people as numerous old buildings were removed for its development. The place was dilapidated upon her – originally from Munich although she spent her youth north of Hamburg prior to moving to the capital as a teenager – began using the space.

The rundown building proved challenging to Herfeldt – she couldn’t hang her art works without concern potential harm – however, it was intriguing. With no building plans accessible, nobody had a clue the way to fix the problems that arose. After a part of the roof within her workspace became so sodden it collapsed entirely, the sole fix involved installing it with another – perpetuating the issue.

In a different area, she describes the leaking was so bad so multiple collection units were set up within the drop ceiling to divert the moisture elsewhere.

I understood that the structure was like a body, a completely flawed entity,” Herfeldt states.

This scenario evoked memories of a classic film, the director's first 1974 film concerning a conscious ship that takes on a life of its own. And as you might notice through the heading – three distinct names – more movies have inspired shaping the artist's presentation. The three names refer to the leading women in Friday 13th, the iconic thriller and the extraterrestrial saga as listed. She mentions a 1987 essay written by Carol J Clover, that describes these surviving characters an original movie concept – female characters isolated to overcome.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, on the silent side enabling their survival thanks to resourcefulness,” says Herfeldt about such characters. They avoid substances or have sex. Regardless the audience's identity, everyone can relate to this character.”

Herfeldt sees a connection linking these figures to her artworks – elements that barely staying put despite the pressures they’re under. Does this mean the art focused on cultural decay than just leaky ceilings? Similar to various systems, these materials meant to insulate and guard from deterioration in fact are decaying in our environment.

“Absolutely,” she confirms.

Before finding inspiration in the silicone gun, the artist worked with other unusual materials. Previous exhibitions have involved organic-looking pieces made from the kind of nylon fabric typical for on a sleeping bag or apparel lining. Similarly, one finds the feeling these peculiar objects could come alive – certain pieces are folded like caterpillars mid-crawl, others lollop down off surfaces blocking passages collecting debris from touch (She prompts audiences to interact leaving marks on pieces). Similar to the foam artworks, those fabric pieces are also housed in – and escaping from – cheap looking acrylic glass boxes. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, which is intentional.

“The sculptures exhibit a certain aesthetic that somehow you feel highly drawn to, and at the same time being quite repulsive,” Herfeldt remarks amusedly. “It attempts to seem absent, yet in reality extremely obvious.”

Herfeldt is not making pieces that offer ease or beauty. Conversely, she wants you to feel unease, strange, perhaps entertained. But if you start to feel a moist sensation from above as well, don’t say the alert was given.