Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Attaching Googly 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 applying googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
She added the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
