A well-known Austin sculpture of a troll at Pease Park has been destroyed in a fire. For much of the Thursday, May 21, after the news broke, there was little public information available beyond that the troll was gone. Now, Austinites can read a statement by the artist, Thomas Dambo.

"I’m saddened and shocked by the news," says Dambo's statement, which was shared with CultureMap by a representative of Pease Park. "Malin was built with love alongside hundreds of people in Austin. She belonged to the community and to the wonderful Pease Park she called home."

"I was so proud to see the old water tower from the Pickle Research Campus," he continued, "along with cedar roots donated by locals, recycled and given new life through her. It hurts deeply to hear that it all went up in smoke. My heart is heavy as I process everything and await more information. It’s still too early to say what comes next. For now, I’m sending my love to everyone in Austin."

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) confirmed to KVUE that the sculpture burned to the ground early Thursday morning.

All that was left was a pile of ash and charcoal.Photo by KVUE

AFD said it received a call shortly before 5:30 am Thursday about a fire at the park, located at 1100 Kingsbury St. Crews arrived roughly five minutes later to North Lamar Boulevard but were unable to access the sculpture from that location.

Firefighters then moved to a different spot, where they "were able to extinguish the fire despite the site's limited access."

An investigation is currently underway, but the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. AFD is asking anyone with any information to call 1-877-434-7345. If your information leads to an arrest, you may receive a reward of up to $1,000.

About the Pease Park troll
The attraction, known as "Malin's Fountain," was created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo in 2024 with the help of 150 volunteers. The Pease Park Conservancy said in 2023 that it would fully fund the creation.

"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.

The project was commissioned by Austin philanthropist Lynne Dobson and her husband after they were inspired by similar installations in Maine.

“We were amazed by them and impressed by them," Dobson said. "Malin is a Swedish name for water warrior. Her expression was always so peaceful, and she was our guardian."

Dobson said the loss is deeply personal and reflected on how the project brought people together.

“We all banded together; we didn't do anything by ourselves — we just had the crazy idea," Dobson said. "Then we sort of approached it and so, yeah, I feel sad.”

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Read the full story at our news partner KVUE.com. CultureMap has added a statement from the artist above.