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When considering restroom upgrades, it might be wise not to choose employing the sculptor for the job.

Truly, she's highly skilled with a silicone gun, creating intriguing sculptures from this unlikely art material. Yet the more look at these pieces, the more it becomes apparent that something is a little off.

The thick tubes made of silicone Herfeldt forms extend past the shelves supporting them, hanging downwards to the ground. The gnarled tubular forms swell until they split. A few artworks leave their acrylic glass box homes entirely, evolving into a magnet of debris and fibers. One could imagine the feedback are unlikely to earn pretty.

At times I get this sense that things are alive inside an area,” says the sculptor. “That’s why I turned to silicone sealant because it has a distinctly physical texture and feeling.”

Indeed there’s something somewhat grotesque in these sculptures, including the phallic bulge jutting out, similar to a rupture, from the support in the centre of the gallery, and the winding tubes from the material that burst as if in crisis. On one wall, the artist presents images depicting the sculptures viewed from different angles: appearing as squirming organisms seen in scientific samples, or formations in a lab setting.

What captivates me is how certain elements in our bodies taking place that also have independent existence,” the artist notes. “Things you can’t see or control.”

Talking of elements beyond her influence, the poster for the show displays an image of water damage overhead in her own studio located in Berlin. The building had been erected decades ago and according to her, faced immediate dislike among the community because a lot of historic structures got demolished to allow its construction. By the time dilapidated as the artist – a native of that city although she spent her youth in northern Germany then relocating to Berlin during her teens – took up residence.

This deteriorating space caused issues for the artist – she couldn’t hang the sculptures without concern risk of ruin – however, it was intriguing. With no building plans available, nobody had a clue methods to address the malfunctions that arose. When the ceiling panel at the artist's area got thoroughly soaked it gave way completely, the only solution meant swapping it with another – and so the cycle continued.

Elsewhere on the property, the artist explains the leaking was so bad that a series of shower basins got placed in the suspended ceiling in order to redirect the water to a different sink.

“I realised that the structure acted as a physical form, an entirely malfunctioning system,” she says.

The situation brought to mind the sci-fi movie, John Carpenter’s debut 1974 film concerning a conscious ship that develops independence. Additionally, observers may note from the show’s title – Alice, Laurie & Ripley – that’s not the only film to have influenced this exhibition. These titles point to the leading women in Friday 13th, another scary movie plus the sci-fi hit in that order. She mentions an academic paper written by Carol J Clover, outlining these surviving characters as a unique film trope – protagonists by themselves to overcome.

They often display toughness, rather quiet and she can survive due to intelligence,” says Herfeldt regarding this trope. “They don’t take drugs or engage intimately. And it doesn’t matter the audience's identity, we can all identify with this character.”

The artist identifies a parallel between these characters with her creations – objects which only staying put despite the pressures they’re under. So is her work more about social breakdown rather than simply leaky ceilings? Similar to various systems, such components that should seal and protect from deterioration are actually slowly eroding in our environment.

“Absolutely,” says Herfeldt.

Earlier in her career with sealant applicators, she experimented with different unconventional substances. Past displays featured organic-looking pieces made from the kind of nylon fabric you might see within outdoor gear or in coats. Similarly, one finds the impression these strange items might animate – some are concertinaed like caterpillars mid-crawl, pieces hang loosely on vertical planes blocking passages collecting debris from touch (Herfeldt encourages viewers to touch leaving marks on pieces). Similar to the foam artworks, these nylon creations are similarly displayed in – and escaping from – inexpensive-seeming transparent cases. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, and that's the essence.

“These works possess a particular style that somehow you feel compelled by, and at the same time appearing gross,” she says with a smile. “The art aims for not there, however, it is extremely obvious.”

The artist does not create work to make you feel relaxation or visual calm. Rather, her intention is to evoke unease, strange, perhaps entertained. However, should you notice a moist sensation from above additionally, don’t say you haven’t been warned.