16-07-2025
Cast in Blue sculpture arrives in Mount Gambier
A sculpture widely criticised for its unusual design and cost has received a positive welcome in Mount Gambier at an unveiling kept quiet until it was complete.
The sculpture, Cast in Blue, represents a kind of mythical megafauna, like those found in the nearby Naracoorte Caves, in the colour of Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake.
The City of Mount Gambier council paid $136,000 for the sculpture, while also raising its rates by 10 per cent last year and 8 per cent this year.
The cost and the design received backlash online, and Cast in Blue was nicknamed "the blue blob".
But during the unveiling on Wednesday afternoon, Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said the price was worth it to bring people into the city's CBD and to introduce them to stories about the Limestone Coast's natural history.
"But art, like all great things, is meant to challenge us, delight us, and stay with us long after we have seen it."
Social media posts about the sculpture's unveiling attracted hundreds of negative comments within hours.
But negative comments were harder to find among those at the unveiling and people walking past.
Stella, 10, and her friend Bethany, 11, both liked the colour of the sculpture.
"I like that it's dark blue," Stella said.
"I think it's very big and blue," Bethany said.
Melbourne tourist Sarah Smail said it was "quite striking" and had an interesting backstory about local history, but she understood why people might baulk at the cost.
"Well, that's a lot of money, and I can understand that people are probably a bit undecided on whether money could be better spent," she said.
"Art is in the eye of the beholder — not everyone is going to appreciate it."
Melbourne architects Tom Proctor and Mitch Walker designed the sculpture, which Sculpture Co then fabricated.
Despite its nickname, Mr Proctor said Cast in Blue was not very blob-like and instead represented a real thing that was identifiable as an imagined piece of megafauna.
"I think that's a pretty unfair characterisation of what it is, I would say," he said.
In answer to critics of the cost, Mr Walker said it would be more of a waste of money if the project "faded into the fabric of the city".
"We're not trying to be incendiary or reactionary, but I think this project has had a very high impact," he said.
"[It] has gotten a lot of people talking about … what the identity of Mount Gambier is to them, what public art should look like to them and whether they agree with this piece or not, they've been forced to really solidify their position on that."
University of South Australia associate professor of contemporary art Gretchen Coombs said Cast in Blue looked fun, reflected the local history and location, and had a sense of "come to me".
"I think it will be great for the local economy and reflecting the local identity, which is often what public art should do," she said.
Dr Coombs said people usually warmed to contemporary public art over time, even if it was controversial when first installed, especially if visitors appreciated it.
"Then people become quite, 'Wow, well, it's not as bad as I thought. My cousin from wherever came and they really thought it was interesting. Maybe it's not so bad,'" she said.
