AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin park is the new home to a giant wooden troll named Malin.
The Pease Park Conservancy opened Thomas Dambo’s Malin Fountain over the weekend, becoming the only place in Texas to have a troll sculpture from the Danish artist.
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More than 80% of Malin is made of recycled, repurposed or found materials, including wood from an old research test tank at the Applied Research Laboratories at The University of Texas.
The tank was constructed from Douglas fir in 1976-1979 and was deconstructed in 2021. About 7,500 linear feet of the wood is now being used for the exterior cladding of the troll.
Malin’s core is made from about 1,800 linear feet of Eastern Red Cedar from the local Wampler sawmill in Bastrop County.
“For safety and longevity, untreated dimensional lumber is used for the core internal structure,” according to the Pease Park Conservancy’s website.
The conservancy adds that Malin’s feet were made in Denmark, and her hair was made from local Ashe juniper and Ashe juniper roots. The Ashe juniper limbs fell during an ice storm.
Seating near the troll is made from an old pecan tree named “Baby” from the Govalle neighborhood.
Dambo, a recycle artist and activist, has created sculptures worldwide and is known for his giant trolls. Malin is his only troll in Texas.
“Every piece of art Thomas Dambo creates has a story - a message about environmental or ecological awareness,” the conservancy said in an online post. “His whimsical, recycled-wood trolls provide community members with the opportunity to explore nature on their visit and to experience an example of how materials can be reused and repurposed into art.”
The art was funded and is maintained through the conservancy, thanks to a donation from The Tejemos Foundation.
People can visit the conservancy at 1100 Kingsbury St. in Austin. The park is open daily between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Click here for more information.