Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused made no plea and informed the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the local government would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
