Delving into Lisa Herfeldt's Sinister Sealant-Based Sculptures: Where Things Appear Living

Should you be thinking about restroom upgrades, it's advisable not to choose engaging the sculptor for the job.

Certainly, she's highly skilled in handling foam materials, creating intriguing artworks from this unlikely art material. Yet the more examine the artworks, the clearer it becomes apparent that something seems somewhat off.

Those hefty tubes made of silicone she produces extend over the shelves where they rest, sagging off the edges towards the floor. The gnarled foam pipes bulge till they rupture. Certain pieces break free from the display cases completely, turning into an attractor of debris and fibers. Let's just say the ratings would not be positive.

At times I get this sense that items are alive within a space,” says the sculptor. “That’s why I came to use this foam material due to its a distinctly physical texture and feeling.”

In fact there’s something almost visceral about these sculptures, including that protruding shape that protrudes, like a medical condition, from its cylindrical stand at the exhibition's heart, or the gut-like spirals made of silicone that rupture as if in crisis. Displayed nearby, Herfeldt has framed images showing the pieces viewed from different angles: resembling squirming organisms seen in scientific samples, or colonies in a lab setting.

I am fascinated by is how certain elements inside human forms happening which possess their own life,” she says. Phenomena that are invisible or manage.”

On the subject of unmanageable factors, the poster for the show displays a picture of the leaky ceiling in her own studio in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The building had been erected decades ago as she explains, faced immediate dislike among the community because a lot of older edifices were removed to allow its construction. It was already dilapidated when Herfeldt – a native of that city yet raised near Hamburg prior to moving to the capital during her teens – moved in.

This deteriorating space proved challenging for the artist – it was risky to display the sculptures without fearing risk of ruin – yet it also proved compelling. Lacking architectural drawings available, no one knew how to repair the problems that arose. After a part of the roof in Herfeldt’s studio got thoroughly soaked it collapsed entirely, the only solution involved installing the panel with a new one – perpetuating the issue.

Elsewhere on the property, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe that several collection units got placed above the false roof in order to redirect leaks to another outlet.

I understood that this place resembled an organism, a totally dysfunctional body,” she says.

This scenario brought to mind a classic film, the initial work 1974 film about an AI-powered spacecraft that takes on a life of its own. As the exhibition's title suggests from the show’s title – three distinct names – more movies have inspired shaping this exhibition. Those labels indicate the female protagonists from a horror classic, Halloween plus the sci-fi hit in that order. Herfeldt cites a critical analysis written by Carol J Clover, which identifies the last women standing an original movie concept – women left alone to overcome.

“She’s a bit tomboyish, rather quiet and they endure because she’s quite clever,” the artist explains of the archetypal final girl. They avoid substances or engage intimately. And it doesn’t matter the viewer’s gender, all empathize with the survivor.”

Herfeldt sees a parallel linking these figures and her sculptures – things that are just about maintaining position despite the pressures they’re under. Does this mean the art more about social breakdown beyond merely leaky ceilings? Similar to various systems, such components that should seal and protect us from damage are gradually failing around us.

“Absolutely,” she confirms.

Prior to discovering her medium in the silicone gun, Herfeldt used alternative odd mediums. Previous exhibitions featured organic-looking pieces made from a synthetic material typical for within outdoor gear or inside a jacket. Again there is the impression these strange items might animate – some are concertinaed as insects in motion, pieces hang loosely on vertical planes or extend through entries attracting dirt from footprints (The artist invites audiences to interact leaving marks on pieces). As with earlier creations, these nylon creations also occupy – leaving – cheap looking display enclosures. They’re ugly looking things, and that's the essence.

“These works possess a particular style which makes one compelled by, and at the same time they’re very disgusting,” the artist comments with a smile. “It attempts to seem invisible, yet in reality highly noticeable.”

Herfeldt is not making pieces that offer ease or beauty. Instead, her intention is to evoke discomfort, odd, maybe even amused. However, should you notice a moist sensation overhead additionally, consider yourself the alert was given.