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Should you be thinking about bathroom renovations, you may want to avoid engaging Lisa Herfeldt to handle it.

Truly, Herfeldt is an expert with a silicone gun, creating fascinating creations with a surprising medium. Yet as you examine the artworks, the stronger one notices a certain aspect seems somewhat off.

The thick lengths of sealant Herfeldt forms extend past display surfaces where they rest, sagging off the edges towards the floor. Those twisted foam pipes swell till they rupture. Certain pieces break free from their acrylic glass box homes fully, becoming a magnet of debris and fibers. It's safe to say the feedback might not get pretty.

At times I get this sense that things possess life within a space,” says the sculptor. “That’s why I turned to this foam material because it has this very bodily feel and appearance.”

Indeed there’s something somewhat grotesque regarding these sculptures, from the suggestive swelling jutting out, similar to a rupture, from its cylindrical stand in the centre of the gallery, and the winding tubes of foam which split open like medical emergencies. On one wall, are mounted photocopies showing the pieces seen from various perspectives: they look like microscopic invaders picked up on a microscope, or formations in a lab setting.

I am fascinated by is the idea within us happening that seem to hold their own life,” the artist notes. “Things that are invisible or control.”

Talking of things she can’t control, the promotional image for the show includes a picture showing a dripping roof at her creative space located in Berlin. The building had been erected decades ago and, she says, faced immediate dislike among the community because a lot of old buildings got demolished in order to make way for it. It was already run-down upon her – a native of that city yet raised near Hamburg then relocating to Berlin as a teenager – began using the space.

This deteriorating space was frustrating for the artist – placing artworks was difficult her pieces without fearing risk of ruin – however, it was fascinating. Without any blueprints on hand, no one knew the way to fix the problems that developed. After a part of the roof at the artist's area became so sodden it collapsed entirely, the sole fix involved installing the damaged part – perpetuating the issue.

In a different area, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe so multiple drainage containers were set up above the false roof to channel leaks to another outlet.

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

These conditions evoked memories of Dark Star, John Carpenter’s debut cinematic piece featuring a smart spaceship which becomes autonomous. And as you might notice from the show’s title – Alice, Laurie & Ripley – that’s not the only film impacting the artist's presentation. Those labels refer to the female protagonists in the slasher film, another scary movie plus the sci-fi hit in that order. She mentions a critical analysis from a scholar, which identifies the last women standing a distinctive cinematic theme – protagonists by themselves to save the day.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, on the silent side and she can survive because she’s quite clever,” the artist explains about such characters. No drug use occurs or engage intimately. It is irrelevant the viewer’s gender, we can all identify with the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a similarity linking these figures with her creations – elements that barely staying put under strain affecting them. So is her work focused on social breakdown beyond merely water damage? Because like so many institutions, substances like silicone intended to secure and shield against harm are gradually failing within society.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Earlier in her career with sealant applicators, she experimented with alternative odd mediums. Past displays have involved organic-looking pieces crafted from the kind of nylon fabric you might see within outdoor gear or apparel lining. Once more, there's the feeling such unusual creations might animate – certain pieces are folded as insects in motion, pieces hang loosely off surfaces blocking passages collecting debris from touch (Herfeldt encourages audiences to interact and soil the works). Like the silicone sculptures, those fabric pieces also occupy – leaving – cheap looking transparent cases. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, and that's the essence.

“These works possess a particular style that draws viewers very attracted to, while also being quite repulsive,” Herfeldt remarks grinning. “It tries to be not there, but it’s actually very present.”

The artist does not create work to make you feel comfortable or beauty. Instead, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, awkward, perhaps entertained. And if there's water droplets overhead too, don’t say you haven’t been warned.