Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork

A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses 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 design.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.