Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a large art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the council would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
