Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a person putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst 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 local mayor stated that restoration to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
