Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and design.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
