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When considering bathroom renovations, it might be wise not to choose employing the sculptor for such tasks.

Certainly, she's a whiz using sealant applicators, producing fascinating sculptures from this unlikely medium. Yet as you look at her creations, the stronger one notices a certain aspect is a little unnerving.

Those hefty strands of sealant she crafts reach past display surfaces on which they sit, sagging over the sides towards the floor. Those twisted foam pipes expand till they rupture. Some creations break free from their acrylic glass box homes fully, turning into an attractor for dust and hair. One could imagine the reviews would not be pretty.

There are moments I feel the feeling that objects are alive inside an area,” remarks the German artist. “That’s why I started using this foam material due to its this very bodily sensation and look.”

In fact there’s something somewhat grotesque regarding Herfeldt’s work, including the phallic bulge which extends, like a medical condition, off its base at the exhibition's heart, and the winding tubes of foam which split open resembling bodily failures. Displayed nearby, the artist presents prints of the works viewed from different angles: appearing as microscopic invaders seen in scientific samples, or colonies on a petri-dish.

What captivates me that there are things in our bodies taking place that seem to hold their own life,” she says. Elements which remain unseen or command.”

Talking of unmanageable factors, the exhibition advertisement featured in the exhibition includes a picture of water damage overhead at her creative space located in Berlin. Constructed built in the early 1970s as she explains, faced immediate dislike among the community since many older edifices got demolished for its development. By the time dilapidated upon her – who was born in Munich but grew up in northern Germany before arriving in Berlin during her teens – began using the space.

This deteriorating space was frustrating for her work – placing artworks was difficult her art works without fearing potential harm – however, it was intriguing. Without any blueprints accessible, no one knew the way to fix the malfunctions which occurred. After a part of the roof within her workspace got thoroughly soaked it fell apart fully, the sole fix was to replace the damaged part – and so the cycle continued.

At another site, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe that a series of drainage containers got placed in the suspended ceiling to divert leaks to another outlet.

I understood that this place was like a body, an entirely malfunctioning system,” Herfeldt states.

The situation reminded her of Dark Star, the initial work 1974 film concerning a conscious ship that takes on a life of its own. As the exhibition's title suggests through the heading – three distinct names – other cinematic works influenced impacting Herfeldt’s show. The three names indicate the female protagonists from a horror classic, another scary movie and Alien respectively. She mentions an academic paper written by Carol J Clover, that describes these “final girls” an original movie concept – female characters isolated to triumph.

These figures are somewhat masculine, on the silent side and she can survive due to intelligence,” the artist explains about such characters. They avoid substances or have sex. It is irrelevant the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to this character.”

She draws a connection linking these figures to her artworks – objects which only holding in place under strain they face. So is her work more about cultural decay than just leaky ceilings? Similar to various systems, substances like silicone intended to secure and shield us from damage in fact are decaying in our environment.

“Absolutely,” she confirms.

Before finding inspiration with sealant applicators, she experimented with different unconventional substances. Recent shows featured organic-looking pieces using the kind of nylon fabric you might see within outdoor gear or in coats. Similarly, one finds the feeling these peculiar objects might animate – certain pieces are folded like caterpillars mid-crawl, others lollop down from walls blocking passages gathering grime from contact (Herfeldt encourages audiences to interact and dirty her art). As with earlier creations, these nylon creations are also housed in – and escaping from – budget-style display enclosures. These are unattractive objects, which is intentional.

“They have a certain aesthetic which makes one compelled by, and at the same time appearing gross,” she says with a smile. “It tries to be not there, however, it is highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making art to provide relaxation or beauty. Conversely, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, strange, perhaps entertained. But if you start to feel a moist sensation overhead additionally, don’t say you haven’t been warned.