Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
The following day the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
