Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
