Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
