Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.
“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 costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
