Australian Teen Charged for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
