Young Australian Faces Charges for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
