Police are investigating after fire destroyed a wooden sculpture built in regional Western Australia by an international artist.
The blaze ruined one of six trolls made out of salvaged scrap wood by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo as part of his Giants of Mandurah exhibit, which was designed to be a towering tribute to sustainability, adventure and imagination.
The fire was reported about 11.30pm on Friday, WA police said. Mandurah detectives, with the assistance of the arson squad, are investigating. “The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are being investigated,” WA police said in a statement.
Form, the WA organisation that presented the work along with local and state government and businesses, said on Instagram that other sculpture sites would remain open.
“We and our friends at the @city_of_mandurah are outraged and immensely saddened by the destruction of the beloved Coodanup Giant Vivi Cirklestone, which is damaged beyond repair,” it said.
“Many people have contributed their time to this project throughout the last three years of its development, including community groups, school students and dedicated volunteers. We’re sure they are as heartbroken as we are.
“We understand many of you have plans to visit the Giants of Mandurah. Disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel that you won’t get the chance to meet Vivi in Coodanup due to what appears to be a suspected senseless and dangerous crime.”
Taking about 750 hours to complete, each troll was constructed on location by Dambo with a local team of technicians and volunteers.
“Why build in a warehouse if you can build here? It’s the best office in the world,” Dambo told Guardian Australia earlier this year. “And coming from Denmark, the nature here is so different, it’s almost a bit trippy and unreal, like being in a fairytale.”
Six trolls were erected in secret locations throughout the Peel region as part of the exhibition. Dambo’s trolls have dotted landscapes in the US, Belgium, China, Denmark, South Korea and Puerto Rico. This was his first display in Australia.
“I grew up surrounded by fairytales and stories, and the troll is an important part of Danish folklore,” he said.
“For me, trolls represent the voice of nature. Sometimes they can be gentle and quiet. Other times they can be really violent and brutal, and that’s how nature is. If you’re not careful, nature will knock your whole house over.”
