Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
