Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates 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 said that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the court she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
The following day the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
