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When considering washroom remodeling, it might be wise not to choose engaging the sculptor to handle it.

Certainly, Herfeldt is an expert in handling foam materials, crafting fascinating creations from this unlikely medium. However the more observe the artworks, the stronger one notices that something seems somewhat strange.

The thick lengths of sealant she crafts reach over their supports where they rest, drooping over the sides towards the floor. Those twisted tubular forms swell till they rupture. Some creations escape the display cases completely, becoming a magnet of debris and fibers. Let's just say the feedback would not be favorable.

There are moments I feel the feeling that things are alive inside an area,” says Herfeldt. Hence I turned to this foam material as it offers a distinctly physical feel and appearance.”

Indeed there’s something almost visceral regarding these sculptures, from that protruding shape jutting out, hernia-like, off its base at the exhibition's heart, or the gut-like spirals made of silicone that rupture like medical emergencies. On one wall, are mounted prints depicting the sculptures seen from various perspectives: appearing as microscopic invaders picked up on a microscope, or formations on culture plates.

What captivates me is how certain elements inside human forms occurring which possess their own life,” the artist notes. Phenomena which remain unseen or manage.”

On the subject of things she can’t control, the exhibition advertisement for the show includes an image of the leaky ceiling within her workspace in the German capital. It was built in the early 1970s and, she says, was quickly despised among the community as numerous older edifices were torn down for its development. The place was dilapidated when Herfeldt – a native of that city although she spent her youth in northern Germany prior to moving to the capital during her teens – began using the space.

This decrepit property caused issues for her work – placing artworks was difficult the sculptures without fearing they might be damaged – but it was also fascinating. Without any blueprints accessible, no one knew methods to address the problems that arose. When the ceiling panel within her workspace got thoroughly soaked it fell apart fully, the only solution was to replace the damaged part – thus repeating the process.

At another site, she describes dripping was extreme so multiple collection units were installed in the suspended ceiling to channel leaks to another outlet.

It dawned on me that this place was like a body, a completely flawed entity,” she says.

The situation brought to mind a classic film, John Carpenter’s debut movie from the seventies featuring a smart spaceship that takes on a life of its own. Additionally, observers may note from the show’s title – a trio of references – that’s not the only film shaping this exhibition. The three names point to the female protagonists from a horror classic, Halloween and the extraterrestrial saga in that order. She mentions a critical analysis by the American professor, which identifies the last women standing as a unique film trope – protagonists by themselves to save the day.

They often display toughness, on the silent side and they endure due to intelligence,” she elaborates about such characters. No drug use occurs or engage intimately. And it doesn’t matter the viewer’s gender, we can all identify with this character.”

The artist identifies a similarity linking these figures with her creations – things that are just about maintaining position under strain affecting them. So is her work focused on cultural decay beyond merely dripping roofs? As with many structures, these materials that should seal and protect from deterioration are gradually failing in our environment.

“Oh, totally,” she confirms.

Earlier in her career with sealant applicators, Herfeldt used different unconventional substances. Recent shows included tongue-like shapes made from a synthetic material you might see within outdoor gear or in coats. Again there is the sense these peculiar objects might animate – a few are compressed as insects in motion, some droop heavily on vertical planes blocking passages collecting debris from touch (She prompts people to handle leaving marks on pieces). Similar to the foam artworks, those fabric pieces also occupy – leaving – inexpensive-seeming display enclosures. They’re ugly looking things, and really that’s the point.

“They have a specific look that draws viewers very attracted to, while also appearing gross,” Herfeldt remarks grinning. “The art aims for invisible, yet in reality highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making art to provide relaxation or aesthetically soothed. Instead, she aims for uncomfortable, awkward, perhaps entertained. And if there's water droplets overhead too, remember you haven’t been warned.