Exploring the Eerie Sealant-Based Art: Where Objects Feel Living

When considering washroom remodeling, it's advisable not to choose engaging the sculptor for such tasks.

Truly, she's highly skilled using sealant applicators, crafting intriguing creations out of an unusual medium. However the more examine her creations, the stronger one notices that an element is a little unnerving.

The thick tubes from the foam she produces stretch over display surfaces supporting them, sagging downwards towards the floor. The knotty silicone strands swell until they split. A few artworks break free from their transparent enclosures entirely, becoming a collector for grime and particles. One could imagine the feedback would not be positive.

There are moments I feel this sense that items are alive inside an area,” remarks the sculptor. Hence I came to use this substance as it offers this very bodily sensation and look.”

Indeed there is an element somewhat grotesque about the artist's creations, starting with that protruding shape that protrudes, similar to a rupture, from the support within the showspace, to the intestinal coils made of silicone which split open resembling bodily failures. Displayed nearby, the artist presents photocopies depicting the sculptures seen from various perspectives: resembling squirming organisms picked up on a microscope, or formations in a lab setting.

I am fascinated by is the idea in our bodies taking place that also have their own life,” she says. Phenomena which remain unseen or control.”

Regarding unmanageable factors, the promotional image featured in the exhibition displays a photograph showing a dripping roof at her creative space in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The building had been made in the seventies and, she says, was quickly despised among the community since many older edifices were torn down in order to make way for it. The place was run-down upon her – a native of that city yet raised near Hamburg then relocating to Berlin during her teens – moved in.

The rundown building was frustrating for her work – it was risky to display her art works without fearing potential harm – but it was also compelling. Without any blueprints on hand, no one knew methods to address any of the issues that developed. When the ceiling panel at the artist's area got thoroughly soaked it collapsed entirely, the single remedy involved installing the damaged part – perpetuating the issue.

At another site, she describes dripping was extreme so multiple drainage containers got placed within the drop ceiling to channel the water to a different sink.

It dawned on me that the building acted as a physical form, a completely flawed entity,” Herfeldt states.

The situation reminded her of a classic film, the initial work movie from the seventies about an AI-powered spacecraft which becomes autonomous. As the exhibition's title suggests given the naming – three distinct names – that’s not the only film impacting this exhibition. These titles point to the leading women from a horror classic, Halloween and Alien respectively. She mentions a 1987 essay written by Carol J Clover, outlining the last women standing an original movie concept – women left alone to save the day.

These figures are somewhat masculine, on the silent side and they endure thanks to resourcefulness,” the artist explains about such characters. “They don’t take drugs or engage intimately. Regardless the viewer’s gender, everyone can relate to the survivor.”

The artist identifies a similarity linking these figures and her sculptures – things that are just about staying put under strain they face. Does this mean the art more about societal collapse beyond merely water damage? Similar to various systems, these materials meant to insulate and guard against harm are actually slowly eroding around us.

“Absolutely,” responds the artist.

Prior to discovering her medium in the silicone gun, she experimented with different unconventional substances. Previous exhibitions have involved tongue-like shapes crafted from fabric similar to you might see within outdoor gear or inside a jacket. Again there is the impression these strange items seem lifelike – certain pieces are folded resembling moving larvae, some droop heavily off surfaces or spill across doorways collecting debris from touch (Herfeldt encourages audiences to interact leaving marks on pieces). Like the silicone sculptures, those fabric pieces also occupy – leaving – cheap looking transparent cases. The pieces are deliberately unappealing, and that's the essence.

“They have a specific look which makes one compelled by, and at the same time they’re very disgusting,” she says amusedly. “It attempts to seem invisible, however, it is extremely obvious.”

Herfeldt's goal isn't art to provide ease or visual calm. Conversely, her intention is to evoke uncomfortable, strange, maybe even amused. But if you start to feel something wet dripping from above too, remember you haven’t been warned.

Rachel Campbell
Rachel Campbell

Landscape designer and outdoor living enthusiast with over a decade of experience in creating beautiful, functional garden spaces.