Reconcile the past with the present by pranking on April Fool’s Day? A critical reflection on the Operation Bust of NTU History Gallery

ABSTRACT To pique the interest of local audiences in learning the pre-WWII history of National Taiwan University (NTU) and facilitate the dialogue between different ideologists on protecting colonial heritage, the History Gallery of NTU conceived an April Fool’s prank revolving around the sculpted representations of Japanese colonial figures in Taiwan. The main plotline is based on an actual historical event of a bust-unveiling ceremony for president Shidehara, the first president of the antecedent of NTU—Taihoku Imperial University. The prank began with systemic dissemination of the news regarding the finding of a head sculpture of Viscount Kodama Gentarō, culminated in an announcement of a serendipitous discovery of the bust for president Shidehara on April Fool’s Day, and ended by recounting the stories of rescuing the busts for Dr Hidetaka and Dr Tomoe. Despite drawing some criticism, the Gallery was acclaimed by many for its originality, responsiveness, and thoroughness in the campaign.