Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.
The following day the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
