Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
