{"id":669075,"date":"2026-05-28T00:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/669075\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T00:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:28:11","slug":"artist-behind-pease-park-troll-releases-statement-after-sculptures-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/669075\/","title":{"rendered":"Artist behind Pease Park troll releases statement after sculpture’s destruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Danish artist Thomas Dambo expressed heartbreak after “Malin’s Fountain” burnt down. The cause of the fire remains unknown, says the Austin Fire Department.<\/p>\n

AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 The artist behind a popular sculpture that stood in Austin’s Pease Park is now speaking out after the piece was destroyed in a fire last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The attraction, known as “Malin’s Fountain,” was created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo in 2024<\/a> with the help of 150 volunteers. The Pease Park Conservancy said in 2023 that it would fully fund the creation<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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“Malin’s Fountain” was one of 100 trolls installed by Dambo across the globe since 2014, and the only one located in Texas. Others have been built in places including Chile, Hungary and South Korea.<\/p>\n

In the early morning hours on May 21, the sculpture was found burnt to the ground.<\/p>\n

Dambo released a statement on Instagram<\/a> Wednesday, detailing his heartbreak following the sculpture’s destruction.<\/p>\n

“It took me a few days to process this \ud83d\udc94<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve received so many messages, photos, and videos since Thursday. Thank you so much for all the love for Malin.<\/p>\n

Thank you for the memorials, the flowers, the drawings, and all the photos you\u2019ve shared. It truly means a lot.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s really heartbreaking. She was built with love alongside hundreds of people in Austin and became part of the community and the wonderful Pease Park she called home.<\/p>\n

One of the things I loved most was seeing people share their water with Malin so she could help feed the animals during the really hot seasons.<\/p>\n

I was so proud to see the old water tower from the Pickle Research Campus, along with cedar roots donated by locals, recycled and given new life through her. It hurts deeply to know that it all went up in smoke.<\/p>\n

My heart is still heavy as I process everything and wait for more information. I truly hope this was just a tragic accident.<\/p>\n

For now, I\u2019m sending my love to everyone in Austin \u2764\ufe0f”<\/p>\n

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) said the cause of the fire is currently unknown.<\/p>\n