Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork

A young person from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork 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 members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

She said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs 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 cost and design.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.