Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She added the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.
When the artwork was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.