The exhibition, entitled Like Us and on from November 29 until February 22, will premier new pieces as well as significant works from Piccinini’s distinguished career.

The display will feature sculptures, paintings, drawings and video works, including two important works from the Newcastle gallery collection.

‘‘The gallery will become an immersive world where the natural and the artificial meet and mingle, discovering unexpected places and occupants at every turn,’’ Picccinni said of the exhibition.

City of Newcastle cultural director Liz Burcham said many of the works reflect on what might come from contemporary research.

‘‘The work is often intense, sometimes strange, sometimes beautiful, encouraging audiences to consider concepts of vulnerability, childlike innocence, notions of beauty and the implications of science, playing out the implications of the technologies that animate much of contemporary life,’’ Ms Burcham said.

Ms Piccinini is well known for creating the divisive hot air balloon sculpture The Skywhale, which was unveiled for Canberra’s centenary in 2013.

The Newcastle Herald reported in October that the hot air balloon will float over Civic Park as part of the exhibition.