Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by applying googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council said that surveillance video captured a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending 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 said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
