Van Hoeydonck is an avant-garde artist in every sense of the word. He was a co-founder of G58 Hessenhuis, Antwerp and a force behind the ZERO group exhibitions. Van Hoeydonck's oeuvre still looks ahead of its times, almost five decennia later. His monochrome white on white works, also called 'Lightworks' bear testimony to Van Hoeydonck's pioneering 'Static Movement' (Mouvement Statique). The painting itself is static but can only be viewed in motion. These revolutionary works were first presented to the public at the Hessenhuis 'Statische Beweging' exhibition in 1959. They further were the subject of one-man shows at Galerie Iris Clert, Paris (1961) and the Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (1961). In 1962 Paul Van Hoeydonck represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale. The art historical importance of the 'Lightworks' was subsequently realised with the MOMA New York acquiring an example for their collection.

Van Hoeydonck's works are held by museums worldwide including: Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna, Rome; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp; Mu.ZEE, Oostende.