Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork

A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a person putting fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She added the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.