Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the council would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
