Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 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 local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that restoration to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.