Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture

Damaged sculpture with eyes attached
The local council stated they could not take off the eyes without damaging the artwork.

A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that CCTV footage captured a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

Sculpture after eye removal
The affected sculpture following the googly eyes were taken off.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor said the local government would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew 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 sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.

Official name vs. nickname
The sculpture is its formal title but residents nicknamed the piece the ‘Blue Blob’.
Deborah Woods
Deborah Woods

Blockchain enthusiast and finance writer with over a decade of experience in crypto investments and mobile tech.