Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
