Australian Teen Charged for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork

A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of damaging property.

In a statement 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”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate 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 said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.