Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture

Damaged sculpture with eyes attached — Authorities stated they could not take off the eyes without harming the artwork.

A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

Art piece after eye removal — The damaged sculpture after the stickers were taken off.

The following day the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.