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When considering bathroom renovations, it's advisable to avoid employing Lisa Herfeldt for such tasks.

Truly, she's a whiz in handling foam materials, crafting compelling sculptures from this unlikely substance. But the more look at the artworks, the stronger you realise a certain aspect seems somewhat off.

The dense lengths from the foam she produces reach past display surfaces where they rest, sagging over the sides below. The knotty foam pipes bulge until they split. A few artworks escape their acrylic glass box homes completely, turning into a collector for dust and hair. One could imagine the ratings are unlikely to earn favorable.

There are moments I feel this sense that objects are alive within a space,” says the German artist. This is why I turned to this substance because it has a distinctly physical feel and appearance.”

In fact there’s something somewhat grotesque about these sculptures, from the phallic bulge that protrudes, hernia-like, off its base within the showspace, and the winding tubes of foam which split open like medical emergencies. Along a surface, Herfeldt has framed prints of the works seen from various perspectives: resembling squirming organisms observed under magnification, or colonies on culture plates.

I am fascinated by is how certain elements inside human forms happening that also have their own life,” the artist notes. Elements you can’t see or command.”

On the subject of elements beyond her influence, the exhibition advertisement promoting the event features a picture showing a dripping roof in her own studio in the German capital. The building had been made in the seventies as she explains, was quickly despised by local people because a lot of old buildings were torn down for its development. The place was dilapidated as the artist – who was born in Munich yet raised near Hamburg then relocating to Berlin as a teenager – moved in.

The rundown building proved challenging to Herfeldt – she couldn’t hang the sculptures anxiously potential harm – yet it also proved intriguing. Lacking architectural drawings on hand, nobody had a clue how to repair any of the issues that developed. After a part of the roof within her workspace got thoroughly soaked it gave way completely, the sole fix meant swapping the damaged part – and so the cycle continued.

At another site, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe that several drainage containers got placed in the suspended ceiling in order to redirect the water to a different sink.

I understood that the building acted as a physical form, an entirely malfunctioning system,” Herfeldt states.

These conditions evoked memories of Dark Star, the initial work cinematic piece featuring a smart spaceship which becomes autonomous. Additionally, observers may note from the show’s title – a trio of references – that’s not the only film impacting this exhibition. Those labels refer to the female protagonists in Friday 13th, Halloween plus the sci-fi hit as listed. The artist references a 1987 essay from a scholar, which identifies the last women standing an original movie concept – female characters isolated to save the day.

They often display toughness, reserved in nature and they endure because she’s quite clever,” says Herfeldt about such characters. They avoid substances or engage intimately. It is irrelevant who is watching, all empathize with the final girl.”

She draws a similarity between these characters with her creations – objects which only holding in place amidst stress they’re under. Does this mean the art more about cultural decay beyond merely dripping roofs? Similar to various systems, these materials meant to insulate and guard us from damage in fact are decaying within society.

“Absolutely,” she confirms.

Before finding inspiration in the silicone gun, the artist worked with alternative odd mediums. Previous exhibitions have involved organic-looking pieces using the kind of nylon fabric found in on a sleeping bag or apparel lining. Again there is the impression these peculiar objects seem lifelike – some are concertinaed like caterpillars mid-crawl, some droop heavily off surfaces blocking passages collecting debris from touch (The artist invites audiences to interact and soil the works). As with earlier creations, these nylon creations are similarly displayed in – leaving – cheap looking transparent cases. They’re ugly looking things, and that's the essence.

“They have a particular style that somehow you feel highly drawn to, yet simultaneously appearing gross,” she says grinning. “It tries to be invisible, however, it is very present.”

The artist does not create art to provide comfortable or aesthetically soothed. Instead, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, odd, maybe even amused. But if you start to feel water droplets on your head as well, don’t say this was foreshadowed.