Palm, Inc. issued a press release to announce digital artist James Buckhouse unveiled an interactive art piece using the Palm OS platform as his medium. This original work, called “Tap,” has been selected for the 2002 Whitney Biennial, the Whitney Museum’s signature exhibition that takes a look at the latest in American art. The exhibit opens to the public on March 7 and runs through May 26 at the Whitney in New York.

“Tap” is commissioned by the Dia Center for the Arts and presented in cooperation with Creative Time. Tap also will be exhibited through beaming stations, designed by ORG, at numerous public locations across Manhattan, including Barnes & Noble at Union Square, the Joyce Theater and Jeffrey, New York. The art piece can be beamed onto Palm Powered handhelds and will be on display at these locations through July 27.

Buckhouse has created two animated characters, one male and one female. Once “Tap” has been beamed onto a Palm Powered handheld, the user teaches the character to tap dance through practicing movements and giving recitals. Instructed by the user to “practice,” a “Tap” dancer begins to master a series of 16 basic moves, making mistakes but gradually increasing the number of steps mastered. A dancer may combine the steps it has learned into a dance, either through randomized improvisation or with choreography specified by the user.