On the occasion of their 70th anniversary, the Crous are presenting the exhibition Le meilleur travailleur du Crous, a monumental work by Yan Pei-Ming. Produced in 1992 as part of a New Patrons commission, this series of ten black-and-white portraits was commissioned by the team of the Le Maret university restaurant in Dijon.

Under the mediation of Xavier Douroux, and with the support of the University of Burgundy and the Fondation de France, members of the restaurant staff wished to affirm their identity through art. Ten of them sat for the artist, who created large-scale portraits combining presence and anonymity. The project marked a turning point in Pei-Ming’s practice, as he moved from working with reproductions to confronting the living model.

This exhibition highlights the Crous’ commitment to art and culture, giving visibility to these often “invisible” everyday workers and bringing to light a unique artistic commission carried out within the framework of the New Patrons programme.