Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
