Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture

Damaged sculpture with eyes attached
The local council stated they could not take off the eyes without damaging the artwork.

A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.

Sculpture after eye removal
The affected sculpture after the googly eyes were removed.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She added the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.

Formal name vs. local name
Cast in Blue is its official name but residents nicknamed the artwork the ‘Blue Blob’.
Virginia Frederick
Virginia Frederick

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