Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
The following day the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked 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 council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.