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When considering restroom upgrades, you may want to steer clear of engaging Lisa Herfeldt for such tasks.

Indeed, Herfeldt is an expert with a silicone gun, creating compelling sculptures from this unlikely substance. However the more observe the artworks, the more you realise that something feels slightly off.

Those hefty strands made of silicone she produces stretch beyond the shelves on which they sit, drooping downwards to the ground. The gnarled tubular forms expand till they rupture. A few artworks leave their transparent enclosures completely, becoming a magnet for grime and particles. One could imagine the feedback are unlikely to earn pretty.

“I sometimes have the feeling that items seem animated inside an area,” remarks the sculptor. “That’s why I turned to this foam material due to its a distinctly physical sensation and look.”

Certainly one can detect almost visceral in the artist's creations, including that protruding shape that protrudes, hernia-like, from the support at the exhibition's heart, to the intestinal coils from the material that burst like medical emergencies. Displayed nearby, the artist presents photocopies of the works seen from various perspectives: appearing as microscopic invaders observed under magnification, or colonies on a petri-dish.

What captivates me that there are things inside human forms occurring that seem to hold a life of their own,” she says. Phenomena which remain unseen or control.”

On the subject of unmanageable factors, the poster for the show displays a picture showing a dripping roof at her creative space in the German capital. It was built in the early 1970s and according to her, was instantly hated from residents because a lot of historic structures were torn down for its development. By the time dilapidated as the artist – originally from Munich yet raised in northern Germany prior to moving to the capital during her teens – began using the space.

The rundown building was frustrating for the artist – she couldn’t hang her art works anxiously risk of ruin – yet it also proved fascinating. Without any blueprints available, it was unclear how to repair the problems which occurred. Once an overhead section within her workspace got thoroughly soaked it collapsed entirely, the single remedy was to replace the damaged part – perpetuating the issue.

In a different area, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe so multiple drainage containers got placed within the drop ceiling to divert the water to a different sink.

“I realised that the structure was like a body, a totally dysfunctional body,” the artist comments.

These conditions evoked memories of the sci-fi movie, John Carpenter’s debut cinematic piece about an AI-powered spacecraft which becomes autonomous. As the exhibition's title suggests from the show’s title – Alice, Laurie & Ripley – other cinematic works influenced impacting this exhibition. These titles point to the leading women from a horror classic, another scary movie and the extraterrestrial saga in that order. The artist references a 1987 essay from a scholar, outlining these surviving characters as a unique film trope – female characters isolated to overcome.

They often display toughness, rather quiet enabling their survival because she’s quite clever,” she elaborates of the archetypal final girl. “They don’t take drugs or engage intimately. Regardless who is watching, we can all identify with the final girl.”

The artist identifies a parallel between these characters to her artworks – things that are just about holding in place under strain they’re under. Does this mean the art more about societal collapse beyond merely water damage? Because like so many institutions, these materials intended to secure and shield against harm are gradually failing within society.

“Oh, totally,” says Herfeldt.

Earlier in her career in the silicone gun, Herfeldt used other unusual materials. Recent shows featured forms resembling tongues made from the kind of nylon fabric typical for on a sleeping bag or in coats. Similarly, one finds the impression these strange items seem lifelike – some are concertinaed as insects in motion, some droop heavily off surfaces or spill across doorways attracting dirt from footprints (Herfeldt encourages audiences to interact leaving marks on pieces). As with earlier creations, the textile works are similarly displayed in – leaving – budget-style display enclosures. They’re ugly looking things, and that's the essence.

“The sculptures exhibit a certain aesthetic that draws viewers highly drawn to, and at the same time they’re very disgusting,” the artist comments with a smile. “It tries to be absent, yet in reality very present.”

The artist does not create art to provide relaxation or beauty. Instead, her intention is to evoke discomfort, awkward, maybe even amused. However, should you notice something wet dripping from above too, don’t say you haven’t been warned.