Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage captured a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the artwork was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
