Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.
Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She said the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
