Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture 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,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.