Australian Teen Charged for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly 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 September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
