Talos is an artistic research initiative led by Israeli choreographer Arkadi Zaides that explores the intersection of mythology, technology, and border politics. The project takes its name and conceptual framework from a European Union-funded research program developing mobile robots designed to secure Europe's borders, which itself drew its name from the mythological bronze giant from Greek mythology.

In Greek myth, Talos was a bronze automaton created by the divine craftsman Hephaestus to protect the island of Crete and, by extension, Europa (for whom Europe is named) from invaders. This ancient tale of a mechanical guardian patrolling boundaries resonates provocatively with contemporary debates about migration, sovereignty, and technological surveillance.

Zaides' two-year research project uses this mythological narrative as a foundation for exploring contemporary themes in performance, theatre, and dance. The initiative focuses particularly on the concepts of pre-enactment and speculation—artistic strategies that imagine and physically rehearse potential futures rather than representing past events.

Through this framework, Zaides and his collaborators investigate the implications of increasingly technologised approaches to security and borders. The project raises critical questions about how physical and ideological protection of territories can be represented and reimagined through performance, creating space for reflection on the ethical and political dimensions of border control technologies.

By connecting ancient mythology with cutting-edge surveillance technology and artistic practice, Talos demonstrates how mythological narratives continue to provide powerful conceptual tools for understanding and critiquing contemporary social and political developments.