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If you're planning bathroom renovations, it might be wise to steer clear of hiring this German artist for the job.

Certainly, Herfeldt is a whiz using sealant applicators, producing compelling sculptures from this unlikely substance. Yet the more examine her creations, the stronger one notices that an element seems somewhat strange.

Those hefty strands from the foam she produces reach over the shelves on which they sit, drooping downwards to the ground. The gnarled tubular forms swell before bursting open. Some creations escape the display cases completely, becoming an attractor of debris and fibers. Let's just say the feedback are unlikely to earn pretty.

At times I get this sense that things possess life inside an area,” states the German artist. This is why I started using this foam material because it has this very bodily texture and feeling.”

Certainly there’s something almost visceral in these sculptures, including the phallic bulge that protrudes, like a medical condition, off its base within the showspace, or the gut-like spirals made of silicone that burst resembling bodily failures. On one wall, the artist presents prints showing the pieces captured in multiple views: they look like microscopic invaders seen in scientific samples, or colonies on culture plates.

What captivates me that there are things within us taking place that seem to hold independent existence,” Herfeldt explains. “Things which remain unseen or manage.”

Regarding unmanageable factors, the exhibition advertisement featured in the exhibition includes an image of water damage overhead in her own studio in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It was built in the early 1970s and according to her, faced immediate dislike from residents because a lot of older edifices were removed for its development. The place was run-down upon her – who was born in Munich but grew up near Hamburg before arriving in Berlin as a teenager – took up residence.

This deteriorating space proved challenging for the artist – placing artworks was difficult the sculptures anxiously potential harm – however, it was compelling. With no building plans on hand, it was unclear the way to fix any of the issues that arose. Once an overhead section within her workspace was saturated enough it gave way completely, the sole fix meant swapping the panel with a new one – and so the cycle continued.

At another site, the artist explains dripping was extreme so multiple drainage containers were installed within the drop ceiling in order to redirect leaks to another outlet.

“I realised that the structure resembled an organism, an entirely malfunctioning system,” Herfeldt states.

These conditions evoked memories of Dark Star, the director's first cinematic piece concerning a conscious ship that develops independence. As the exhibition's title suggests through the heading – a trio of references – more movies have inspired to have influenced Herfeldt’s show. Those labels point to the female protagonists from a horror classic, another scary movie plus the sci-fi hit as listed. Herfeldt cites a 1987 essay written by Carol J Clover, outlining the last women standing as a unique film trope – female characters isolated to overcome.

These figures are somewhat masculine, reserved in nature and she can survive because she’s quite clever,” the artist explains of the archetypal final girl. No drug use occurs nor sexual activity. And it doesn’t matter the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to this character.”

Herfeldt sees a connection between these characters and her sculptures – objects which only maintaining position under strain they face. Is the exhibition more about cultural decay rather than simply water damage? As with many structures, substances like silicone that should seal and protect from deterioration in fact are decaying around us.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, the artist worked with alternative odd mediums. Past displays included organic-looking pieces made from fabric similar to you might see in insulated clothing or apparel lining. Similarly, one finds the feeling such unusual creations could come alive – a few are compressed like caterpillars mid-crawl, others lollop down from walls blocking passages attracting dirt from footprints (She prompts people to handle leaving marks on pieces). Like the silicone sculptures, the textile works are similarly displayed in – and breaking out of – budget-style transparent cases. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, and really that’s the point.

“These works possess a particular style that draws viewers highly drawn to, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” she says amusedly. “It attempts to seem invisible, but it’s actually very present.”

Herfeldt is not making pieces that offer ease or aesthetically soothed. Conversely, she aims for uncomfortable, strange, or even humor. However, should you notice water droplets overhead too, remember you haven’t been warned.