Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
She said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
