Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture

Altered sculpture with eyes attached
The local council mentioned they could not take off the eyes without harming the artwork.

A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

Art piece after eye removal
The damaged sculpture after the googly eyes were taken off.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.

Official name vs. local name
The sculpture is its formal title but locals nicknamed the piece the ‘Blue Blob’.
Gwendolyn Martin
Gwendolyn Martin

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