Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She said the local government would seek the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
