Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
