A mythical troll may be something expected in a children’s storybook, but one of these gentle giants began calling Austin’s Pease Park home on March 15.
Malin’s Fountain, the troll built by Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo and commissioned by the Pease Park Conservancy, makes for the artist’s 129th installation built around the world over the past 10 years. The City of Austin approved the art installation after a round of community engagement with an 85% approval rating and a review by the City of Austin.
In a press release for the troll, Dambo stated his mission is to teach people to “Waste no more: Our world is running out of natural resources, while it’s drowning in trash. We must learn to be better at recycling.”
Dambo stayed true to his mission by building the 18 by 15-foot troll from all-recycled materials milled by Harvest Lumber, most of which was once a part of the old water tower at the University’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus.
Dambo, according to his website, customizes each troll with a story and name specific to the area based on the environment and culture, but this troll’s lore remained a secret until the unveiling.
Malin and her fountain are inspired by water. She sits holding a large bowl that visitors can pour water into on hot Austin days for animals to drink.
Around her neck lays a large necklace made of fossils and artifacts found in the area with a large blue crystal in the center. Dambo posted on his Instagram story a few days before the unveiling to ask locals to bring fossils and other trinkets for the necklace.
The troll found its home in a wooded hillside area of Kingsbury Common, away from the trail to not interfere with regular parkgoers’ experience. The build took over 3 weeks, beginning on Feb. 28 and being completed for the unveiling on March
Dambo has built over 40 trolls in the US. In a press release, Dambo said he hopes to put one troll in every US state.
“The US is a pretty big country compared to Denmark, where I come from, and the nature here is crazy beautiful,” Dambo said, in a press release. “But a big country also generates a lot of waste materials, materials I can use in my art and workshops. I can hopefully be an example of how to be less wasteful.”