A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
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