Beautiful 3-D light installations transform Australia’s cultural spots into mesmerizing art pieces

Every autumn for the past eight years, Sydney, Australia, has gotten a bit lightheaded.

The festival is called Vivid Sydney, and it's going on right now (remember, their seasons are the opposite of ours) with than 60 3-D light installations projected onto landmark buildings.

Lights can be seen along the bay, Darling Harbour, the central business district, Central Park in Chippendale and to the city's north in Chatswood. Vivid Music with more than 90 performances and Vivid Ideas with more than 400 speakers (including "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner) round out the festival, which continues through June 8.

Here are some places where lights become works of art.

University of Sydney

(James Horan / Destination NSW / Vivid Sydney 2015)

The university's Quadrangle facade erupts in projections of changing lights, patterns and colors as part of Vivid Sydney 2015. The exterior light show continues through Sunday. Also at the university: The Sea of Hands designed by student Elissa Hughes. Visitors sign a plastic hand and "plant" it among the others in a "growing" artwork best seen from above. The message here is about supporting indigenous Australians.

Sydney Opera House

(Vivid Sydney 2015)

The projections on the sails of the Opera House are the most iconic light landmarks of Vivid Sydney. The designs and colors are visible from water and land. Inside the celebration continues with an eclectic lineup of concerts, including Morrissey, Melbourne Ske Orchestra with Mojo Juju and Daniel Johns.

Museum of Contemporary Art

(James Horan/Destination NSW/Vivid Sydney 2015)

The museum celebrates inside and out. The exterior projects assemblages with bold colors and textures. Inside is "Light Show," an exhibition that features works from the 1960s to the present by 17 artists from around the world, including James Turrell and Dan Flavin.

Customs House

(Daniel Boud / Vivid Sydney 2015)

The city's plants and animals are projected onto the front of the facade of Sydney's Customs House in a series called "Enchanted Sydney." Plants erupt and trees blossom in different seasons in the images created to fit the shape of the building. Inside, see nature shots by Matthew Smith in a show called "A Parallel Universe."

Chatswood

(James Horan / Destination NSW / Vivid Sydney 2015)

The Chatswood district in north Sydney has been transformed into an underwater world. Water creatures, like Norbert the Nautilus above, greet visitors and an animated aquarium appears in lights.

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