Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
