Built from 850kg of e-waste, 25-ft Trojan Horse gives ancient Greek legend a cyber twist in Kochi

Kochi: Keys from over 50 discarded keyboards form its hooves, electrical cables flow into its mane, and blue LED bulbs illuminate its eyes. Rising 25 feet in a dramatic rearing posture, this horse is built from the very debris of the digital world it warns against.

At Cocon 2026, the international hacking and cybersecurity conference, organised by Kerala Police at Kochi’s Bolgatty, the imposing sculpture has become more than an attraction. Weighing around two tonnes, the Cyber Trojan Horse transforms electronic waste into a striking reminder of cyber deception, drawing on the ancient Greek tale of a seemingly harmless gift concealing a deadly threat.

Created by renowned artist Davinci Suresh, the installation is billed as India’s tallest cybersecurity art installation made from electronic waste. Suresh said that it took nearly six weeks of painstaking work at his home studio in Kodungallur to bring the unconventional artwork to life.

“In ancient lore, Greek soldiers tricked the Trojans by concealing themselves inside a large wooden horse, and it led to the fall of Troy. In this modern era, most covert wars take place under the cover of cyberspace. Beyond that, ‘Trojan’ is one of the most notorious viruses in computing. So, such an interpretation apts the theme of Cocon. If you search, you won’t find an e-waste sculpture of this scale. It is definitely the first of its kind in India,” Suresh told Onmanorama.

Rather than recreate the traditional horse standing on four legs, he opted for a more aggressive, contemporary interpretation. “We wanted a modern interpretation by giving it real scale and positioning it in a massive, aggressive, rearing posture,” he said.

Turning rigid electronic components into the contours of a rearing horse was among the project’s biggest challenges. The sculpture rests on a 16-foot internal skeleton made of galvanised iron (GI) pipes and iron framing, anchored to a heavy three-foot iron base. Three layers of sculpted fibreglass were added before the electronic scrap was mounted.

Between 700 and 850 kg of electronic waste went into the installation. Overall, it weighs over two tonnes. Computer motherboards, typically eight to 10 inches wide and flat, could not be bent around the curved surfaces. Suresh sourced smaller circuit boards, chips and diodes salvaged from televisions and other consumer electronics to achieve the desired contours.

“Computer motherboards are typically 8 to 10 inches wide and flat, making it hard to bend. To cover curves and contours of the horse, we had to source smaller circuit boards, chips, and diodes stripped from televisions and consumer electronics,” he said.

The detailing gives the sculpture its distinctive character. Black keyboard keys salvaged from around 50 dismantled keyboards form the hooves, while hundreds of insulated electrical cables and wires make up the mane and tail. Moulded fibre supports the strands, helping them retain their swept-back shape.

Blue LED lights fitted as eyes give the horse a futuristic appearance after dark. Protective chemical sealants and clear varnish help it withstand moisture and outdoor conditions. Most components were sourced from scrap recycling yards in Pattambi after extensive searches across regional markets.

The project emerged from discussions involving Kerala Police Cyberdome and artist collectives. “Cartoonist Anoop Radhakrishnan connected me with the Cocon organisers. SP (Cyber Operations) Ankit Asokan also held discussions with me and visited my workshop during fabrication to inspect the progress,” Suresh said.

A team of 10 to 12 workers assisted with fabrication, but the artistic detailing required Suresh’s hands-on involvement. Transporting the 25-foot structure to Bolgatty presented another logistical challenge. To prevent damage, it was divided into 12 sections, loaded onto four vehicles using cranes and reassembled at the venue within a day.

The costs were substantial. The structural base and fibreglass alone cost four to five times more than the electronic waste, Suresh said. The final expenditure is yet to be calculated as incidental costs accumulate.

The installation is part of Cocon’s initiative to raise awareness of cyber deception and online exploitation. The sculpture will remain at Bolgatty until the event concludes. Suresh said that discussions are underway with the Kochi Corporation authorities to relocate it permanently to Nehru Park in Fort Kochi, subject to administrative approvals. Until the clearances are obtained, it will be moved to safe storage.