Young Australian Faces Charges for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
