Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that surveillance video showed a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She added the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
