Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
