Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork

A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage captured a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

She said the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.