Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
