Exploring Lisa Herfeldt's Unsettling Silicone-Gun Sculptures: In Which Things Appear Alive

If you're planning restroom upgrades, you may want to steer clear of hiring this German artist to handle it.

Indeed, she's a whiz using sealant applicators, producing fascinating artworks out of an unusual medium. However longer you look at her creations, the stronger you realise a certain aspect feels slightly unnerving.

Those hefty strands made of silicone she produces reach over display surfaces on which they sit, sagging over the sides to the ground. The gnarled tubular forms swell until they split. Certain pieces escape their transparent enclosures completely, becoming a magnet of debris and fibers. Let's just say the reviews are unlikely to earn pretty.

At times I get this sense that things seem animated within a space,” states the sculptor. “That’s why I came to use this substance because it has such an organic feel and appearance.”

In fact there’s something almost visceral about Herfeldt’s work, starting with the suggestive swelling jutting out, similar to a rupture, from its cylindrical stand at the exhibition's heart, to the intestinal coils made of silicone that burst as if in crisis. Along a surface, Herfeldt has framed images depicting the sculptures viewed from different angles: they look like microscopic invaders picked up on a microscope, or growths in a lab setting.

I am fascinated by is how certain elements inside human forms happening which possess a life of their own,” she says. “Things which remain unseen or manage.”

Talking of elements beyond her influence, the promotional image featured in the exhibition features an image showing a dripping roof at her creative space in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Constructed made in the seventies as she explains, faced immediate dislike by local people because a lot of old buildings were torn down for its development. By the time run-down when Herfeldt – who was born in Munich yet raised in northern Germany then relocating to Berlin as a teenager – took up residence.

The rundown building was frustrating to Herfeldt – it was risky to display the sculptures without fearing they might be damaged – however, it was intriguing. With no building plans on hand, nobody had a clue the way to fix any of the issues which occurred. After a part of the roof within her workspace was saturated enough it gave way completely, the only solution was to replace the damaged part – thus repeating the process.

In a different area, the artist explains the water intrusion was severe so multiple collection units were installed within the drop ceiling to divert the moisture elsewhere.

It dawned on me that the building resembled an organism, a completely flawed entity,” Herfeldt states.

This scenario brought to mind the sci-fi movie, the director's first movie from the seventies featuring a smart spaceship that develops independence. As the exhibition's title suggests through the heading – a trio of references – that’s not the only film impacting the artist's presentation. The three names refer to main characters in the slasher film, the iconic thriller and Alien in that order. The artist references a critical analysis from a scholar, that describes the last women standing as a unique film trope – female characters isolated to triumph.

These figures are somewhat masculine, reserved in nature and they endure thanks to resourcefulness,” says Herfeldt about such characters. “They don’t take drugs nor sexual activity. It is irrelevant who is watching, everyone can relate to the final girl.”

Herfeldt sees a connection from these protagonists to her artworks – objects which only staying put amidst stress they’re under. Does this mean the art really concerning social breakdown rather than simply dripping roofs? Similar to various systems, such components intended to secure and shield against harm are actually slowly eroding around us.

“Oh, totally,” she confirms.

Earlier in her career in the silicone gun, she experimented with different unconventional substances. Past displays have involved forms resembling tongues crafted from fabric similar to you might see within outdoor gear or in coats. Similarly, one finds the feeling such unusual creations could come alive – some are concertinaed resembling moving larvae, others lollop down on vertical planes or spill across doorways attracting dirt from footprints (She prompts audiences to interact and soil the works). Like the silicone sculptures, the textile works are similarly displayed in – leaving – inexpensive-seeming transparent cases. These are unattractive objects, and that's the essence.

“They have a certain aesthetic that draws viewers very attracted to, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” the artist comments with a smile. “It tries to be absent, but it’s actually very present.”

Herfeldt is not making art to provide relaxation or visual calm. Instead, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, odd, perhaps entertained. And if there's water droplets on your head as well, remember this was foreshadowed.

Tammy Vasquez
Tammy Vasquez

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with years of experience in the gaming industry, sharing insights and updates.