Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued 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 disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
She said the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.