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

A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing 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 person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the artwork was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.