🔗 Share this article

Should you be thinking about washroom remodeling, it's advisable not to choose engaging Lisa Herfeldt to handle it.

Certainly, Herfeldt is highly skilled in handling foam materials, producing fascinating creations from this unlikely substance. Yet as you look at these pieces, the stronger it becomes apparent that an element is a little off.

Those hefty strands made of silicone she crafts reach beyond the shelves on which they sit, hanging downwards below. Those twisted foam pipes expand before bursting open. Some creations escape the display cases entirely, turning into a magnet for grime and particles. It's safe to say the feedback might not get positive.

At times I get an impression that things seem animated within a space,” remarks the sculptor. Hence I turned to this substance because it has such an organic feel and appearance.”

Certainly there is an element rather body horror regarding these sculptures, from the phallic bulge jutting out, hernia-like, from the support within the showspace, and the winding tubes from the material that rupture as if in crisis. On one wall, the artist presents photocopies depicting the sculptures viewed from different angles: appearing as squirming organisms observed under magnification, or formations on culture plates.

What captivates me that there are things within us happening that seem to hold a life of their own,” she says. Elements you can’t see or control.”

Talking of unmanageable factors, the exhibition advertisement featured in the exhibition features a photograph of water damage overhead in her own studio in the German capital. It was made in the seventies as she explains, was instantly hated among the community as numerous older edifices were removed for its development. By the time dilapidated when Herfeldt – originally from Munich but grew up in northern Germany then relocating to Berlin in her youth – took up residence.

This decrepit property proved challenging for her work – it was risky to display her pieces anxiously they might be damaged – however, it was intriguing. Without any blueprints available, no one knew methods to address the malfunctions that arose. When the ceiling panel in Herfeldt’s studio got thoroughly soaked it gave way completely, the only solution meant swapping the panel with a new one – perpetuating the issue.

At another site, the artist explains dripping was extreme so multiple drainage containers were set up within the drop ceiling to divert the water to a different sink.

I understood that this place acted as a physical form, a completely flawed entity,” she says.

This scenario reminded her of the sci-fi movie, the initial work cinematic piece about an AI-powered spacecraft that develops independence. As the exhibition's title suggests given the naming – a trio of references – other cinematic works influenced impacting the artist's presentation. Those labels indicate the leading women in Friday 13th, the iconic thriller and Alien as listed. She mentions a 1987 essay by the American professor, that describes the last women standing an original movie concept – protagonists by themselves to overcome.

These figures are somewhat masculine, on the silent side and she can survive because she’s quite clever,” says Herfeldt regarding this trope. No drug use occurs nor sexual activity. And it doesn’t matter the audience's identity, we can all identify with this character.”

Herfeldt sees a similarity linking these figures with her creations – things that are just about staying put under strain they’re under. Is the exhibition focused on social breakdown beyond merely dripping roofs? Similar to various systems, substances like silicone intended to secure and shield us from damage in fact are decaying around us.

“Completely,” she confirms.

Prior to discovering her medium in the silicone gun, Herfeldt used different unconventional substances. Recent shows featured organic-looking pieces crafted from fabric similar to found in within outdoor gear or in coats. Again there is the sense such unusual creations seem lifelike – certain pieces are folded as insects in motion, others lollop down off surfaces or spill across doorways attracting dirt from footprints (She prompts people to handle and soil the works). Like the silicone sculptures, those fabric pieces are similarly displayed in – leaving – cheap looking acrylic glass boxes. These are unattractive objects, and really that’s the point.

“The sculptures exhibit a certain aesthetic which makes one highly drawn to, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” the artist comments grinning. “It attempts to seem absent, however, it is highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making work to make you feel relaxation or aesthetically soothed. Conversely, she wants you to feel uncomfortable, strange, or even humor. However, should you notice a moist sensation from above additionally, consider yourself this was foreshadowed.