Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing plastic 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 local council explained that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
She said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
