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

A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and informed the court she was ill, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.