Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
