Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
