Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching 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 legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
