Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
