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

A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, according to 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 restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.

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

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

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), 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 “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.