Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A young person from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
She added the council would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and design.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
