Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the local government would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
