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

A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

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

A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

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

When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

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