Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork

A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its cost and design.

Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.