In an age where biology and technology collide, Cheryl Gross’ work explores the boundaries between myth and reality. Do we turn to myth to understand the world around us, transforming the familiar into the extraordinary? In a shifting reality, can these myths offer insight, meaning, and control over forces beyond our comprehension?

Gross imagines a world where mythological creatures start to take physical form, driven by biotechnology and environmental change. From “The Umon Theory”—a speculative exploration of a new gender identity born from genetic mutations—to a crab whose exoskeleton absorbs a plastic bottle, Gross blurs the lines between organism and object, evolution and invention. These hybrids aren’t just fictional; they are already becoming part of our reality, reshaping both our environment and our DNA.

In *The Z Factor*, Gross challenges us to rethink the stories we tell about what is real, possible, and controllable. Her work invites us to confront a future where the boundaries between the natural world and technology dissolve, and where myth is not only imagined but increasingly becoming a tangible part of our existence.