RIP Malin

Austin community and artist mourn Pease Park's troll that burned down

Malin was a community project made with reused materials.

Photo courtesy of Harvest Lumber Co.

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.

Malin Pease Park troll damage 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.”

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

community art visual art sculpture parks

ART MATTERS

Blockbuster Tejano exhibit tours Southwest museums, including in Austin

\u200bPhoto courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum

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As some prepare for a jingoistic semiquincentennial, San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum is taking a broader approach to what it means to be an American. In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the downtown museum will open Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story on July 24, a blockbuster exhibit tracing almost 400 years of Tejano culture’s influence on the American West. The exhibit will later travel to Austin's Bullock Texas State History Museum.

After San Antonio, Tejano Legacy will head to Scottsdale's Western Spirit Museum of the West from March to September 2027, then it'll be in Austin from October 2027 through February 2028.

The bilingual show, curated by Gabriela Gámez, gathers more than 100 rare artworks, artifacts, and immersive storytelling pieces at 210 W. Market Street. Briscoe curators culled the pieces from private collections, its own holdings, and institutions across the United States and Mexico. Several key objects of Mexico’s cultural and historical heritage will be shown in the U.S. for the first time.

Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story This lavishly embroidered saddle belonged to a Spanish viceroy.Photo courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum

The collection examines a large swath of Tejano culture, from the 16th century to the present, covering everything from ranching traditions to military service, showing how age-old traditions continue to shape Southwestern life. The themes are reinforced in a scholarly catalog featuring essays from historians and cultural leaders.

"Tejano history is American history, and there is no better place to tell this story than San Antonio," said Liz Jackson, President and CEO of the Briscoe, in a release.

Ernesto Icaza Sanchez's "Lasando Una Res" will be among the works on display. Photo courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Although many of the objects — from an 18th-century santo to allegorical paintings — are centered on faith, a companion exhibit takes a more secular approach, albeit with a subject that inspires no small amount of devotion. Selena Forever/Siempre Selena, a showing of local photographer John Dyer’s early images of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, runs June 4 through January 4, 2027.

“Selena’s story is deeply connected to the cultural pride and artistic expression that define Tejano identity,” explained Jackson. “Her influence transcends music and continues to inspire audiences across generations, making her an important part of this broader cultural conversation."

Neither the press release nor the website gives a closing date for Tejano Legacy in San Antonio. However, if Austinites want to see it in its originating museum, we suggest seeing it during the museum’s National Day of the Cowboy celebration on July 25, when admission will be free.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is located at 210 W. Market St. in San Antonio.

selena tejano culture museums briscoe western art museum downtown art history exhibits