Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She added the local government would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
