Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-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.”
She said the council would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
